Clash of the Elements Part 4 EX Last Story: A Mythical Land, Gensokyo
by mewmaster93
Summary: The road's been long and winding, but now Alex and Shina are on their way towards finding the Cosmos Drive for real. But as they arrive at their last destination, the two find themselves drifting into a surreal land littered with monsters and gods or yore, all of them itching to challenge them in the art of Danmaku. The odds must be overcome, for the Cosmos Drive's closing in...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

Errrr, my apologies for that.

* * *

" _So, the time has come at last."_

" _Are you really prepared for what's to come?"_

" _I've been ready far longer than you have been born."_

" _Nothing but haste in your voice. In fact, is that your heartbeat I'm hearing?"_

" _Fufufu...Yes, my heart does indeed race like an antelope being chased through the savannah. Its a curious sensation to have...this elated thrill that has eluded me for so long."_

" _And it shall be my hands that keep that blessed emotion from spilling forth from your black-stained heart, old friend."_

" _And you accuse_ _ **me**_ _of being the eager one? Your part to play will come soon enough."_

" _Oh of that I am certain. But my reasons for being so eager are a little more personal than you assume."_

" _Or perhaps you are the one making assumptions."_

" _Haaa...I shall truly miss these little scuffles on the mental playground once I am gone."_

" _..."_

" _Cat caught your tongue, old friend?"_

" _...A mere housecat? No, its more akin to a tiger, or a lion..."_

" _Well, whenever you are rid of it, I shall be here to hear you out."_

" _If only my lips were not pursed so tight as well..."_

" _Then do not let my presence be a distraction. Go. Your victory awaits, old friend."_

" _Yes. On this day...the Phoenix of Destruction shall be met with an ironic demise, as I shall destroy everything of his. Mind, body and soul...I will let none of it survive."_

 **CLASH OF THE ELEMENTS PART 4 EX FINAL STORY:**

 **THE MYTHICAL LAND OF GENSOKYO**

 **Chapter 1: The Sealed Away Fantasy**

The universe is unfathomably vast, and many theorize that it is constantly growing every day. Just to travel to the moon for the first time took humans more than a week, and some space probes haven't even breeched the walls of the Milky Way let alone other galaxies. But in the span of almost two years, two people have gone far and beyond what mankind can accomplish on their own.

They have traveled to many worlds, seen many stars and many moons, and fought many battles. This long journey hasn't been the most rewarding, and there were a couple of times that they considered quitting...But alas, surrender was never an option for them. Triumphing over every foe in their way, the two have gathered five pieces of a key that will unlock an artifact of unimaginable cosmic power. And with it, perhaps, they will be able to free an enslaved race from the cold chains of tyranny.

But nothing on this wild and wonderous journey will have prepared them for what's to come next...

Right now though, the two carelessly glide through the endless black sea within their little bubble of air. Though travelling at near incalculable speeds, they remain as still as one would on a planet's surface. The girl, the ever energetic and optimistic Shina Aurora, holds the circular key above her head so its azure light can guide them to their destination while the boy, the young and somewhat bitter Elemental Overlord Alex Whiter, pilots their course throughout the cosmos.

It has been a few months since they left a world war torn by machines behind, but its been surprisingly uneventful despite this being the last leg of their journey. But this dull and drab atmosphere set the perfect mood for them to reflect on how they got here.

Giving her lithe arms a break from acting as a lighthouse beacon, Shina lowered the key near the center of her plump chest and squeezed it between them so it'd lie close to her heart. The beating of her heart was like a newborn butterfly's wings fluttering amongst a spring breeze, both eager and warm, yet not without a twinge of anxiety.

" _Oh gosh...What am I gonna do when I see my sister again? She's probably gonna be a crying mess after all this time. Oh I know! I'll cheer her right up with tales of my adventures! She'll love hearing about all the cute baby dragons I rescued, or that time I briefly got to fight a pirate narwhal! I definitely oughta tell her about Elphelt and Noel...X and Alia too! Can't forget them!"_

As her expression grew evermore excited, she started to blush as she realized one defining factor amongst her ventures...

" _Golly...I really did make a lot of friends along the way, didn't I? But more than that..."_ Her eyes locked onto the back of the boy and her lips spread out into a smile, followed by a quiet giggle slipping their way through.

Alex closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The world around him seemed much warmer than it ever did before, and every muscle and nerve in his body was at ease.

" _Can't believe we're at the final stretch of this friggin' journey, and with plenty of time to spare to boot. With how much time Shina spent loitering around collecting gems and crystals I was certain we'd be destined to fail from the start..."_ He grumbled a little in frustration and then let out a drawn out sigh, _"But she definitely started to see the error of her ways after that, and we never would've gotten the last two artifact pieces if it wasn't for her. Hell, I almost screwed her over on the last one..."_

" _...But she didn't give up on me. She genuinely cared about my well-being, and more than that..."_

He peered over his shoulder and locked eyes with hers. Their smiles widened a little as their thoughts synced together as one harmonious echo.

" _I found love..."_

After a couple seconds of silence, the two's faces became filled with a bright red blush and they swerved away from their gaze. Alex coughed a couple times almost like he was choking, while Shina's heart beat strummed along like a herd of wild gazelle on the run.

She cupped one hand up by her chin and pressed her thumb between her lips, her eyes quivering back and forth as the red in her cheeks resembled a rosey shade.

" _Ooooh...b-but we haven't done anything romantic since then. Should...should I push for something, or just take it slow? Alex ain't used to this sorta thing..."_

" _Shit, you saw that look in her eyes? I think that's one of those 'I'm in a romantic mood' gazes...B-But what does she expect me to do? I'm a goddamn romance virgin!"_

" _No. No no no Shina. You shouldn't force yourself on Alex...Lord knows his heart would explode if you tried too hard. Yeah, I gotta just take it slow and easy...Everything's fine as it is."_

" _I thought things would be easy after I confessed my love, but noooo! Turns out THAT was Easy Mode and everything after that is where the difficulty ramps up to Hard! M-Maybe...I should just ask her..."_ He gleamed over his shoulder and saw her tapping a couple fingers against her chin and then retreated with a gasp, _"Shoot! She's thinking about it already! That can't be a good sign...!"_

" _...On the other hand. I...I kinda want to experience my first kiss. Oh goodness gracious Shina...you gotta learn to take initiative once in a while!"_

Deaf to how unromantic of an atmosphere an air bubble in space was, Shina pounded the hammer of judgment that was her fist down upon an open palm and caused Alex's heart to skip a beat. She then spun around and tucked the key at her back, leaning closer to the boy while innocently murmuring, "Aleeeex...Ummm..."

Alex's body tensed up and his knees felt cold as he pivoted around and swallowed his pride to get this over with.

"Yes, what is it Shina?" He tried to remain as calm as he usually is, but a sweat drop was already trickling down the side of his head.

"I was thinking..." She swayed her hips back and forth and sucked her lips in as she looked down and gave her right foot a light kick forward. As her glistening eyes locked onto Alex's face, the boy's heart began to race, as though her intentions were spread across the face like the words to a textbook.

"M-Maybe...we could..."

A planetary sensation prodded Alex in the back so suddenly and strongly that he spun around on the spot expunging a heavy gasp of relief as he stated, "H-Hey look at that! We're arriving at our destination, isn't that great?!"

A cold sweat drenched his face as he sputtered a couple more breaths of relief and left Shina frozen with disappointment. She blinked a couple more times but didn't think much about it, for an overwhelming sensation of accomplishment swept her mind clean. She dashed up beside Alex and looked out to the planet, but then tilted her head to the point that her long hair covered part of her face.

"Eh? Ya sure about that Alex?"

The two saw with a rather dull surprise that they were approaching the Earth. Just like the four other times they'd run into this planet, it was bountiful with blue waters and green forests.

"The stone doesn't lie," Alex noted firmly, "So this Earth must be pretty special."

"Hmmm, I guuuess," Shina lifted her head up and held the stone adjacent to her chest, double checking that the trail of aura led to the planet, "Its just that I was expecting something a lot more...sparkly?"

"Sparkly?" He raised his brow at her.

"Yeah, like a nebula!"

" _Aren't most nebulas dusty..."_ After that inner snark he shook his head a little and steadied the bubble's flight so it'd be aligned with the trail of aura, then shot slingshot it towards the planet.

"Hang on Shina, we're heading into the atmosphere!"

He locked both arms in front of him and sped towards the highest layer of clouds. As their vision became thick with fluffiness, Shina pumped her fists up before the chest and exclaimed, "Ooooh this'll be so exciting! We're going where few Aurians have ever tread! I wonder what it'll look like?!"

"You'd have a better idea of that than me..." Alex mumbled.

"Yeah, I guess I...Haaaa..." Shina's mouth spread wide open with a yawn, followed by her smacking her lips as her eyes began to crease shut, "Would..."

"I _told_ you you should've been getting some more sleep lately. You better not konk out at the last second-"

Shina collapsed flat on the ground like a leather rug, and Alex raised his brows before the sensation of sleepiness started to envelop his eyes as well.

"...W-what the...hell..." Alex's knees dropped, but he stiffened them up halfway down. But it was only a few seconds more before even that wasn't enough and he collapsed right beside Shina. The air bubble burst open, and their bodies plummetted towards the ground like miniature comets in a night sky.

Atop a forest canopy, a woman with a bushy brown tanuki tail lays back and enjoys the brisk sunny sky while smoking from her brisk wooden pipe. But then a sound resembling a sonic boom caused her to poke her head up and watch as two streaks of light, one red and one blue, hurtled down towards the surface. Her eyes perked up along with her body as she criss-crossed her legs and held her smoking pipe out beside the shoulder.

"Hohoho...'Two beings shall descend upon Gensokyo' eh? Son of a gun, that wily witch weren't a loose-lipped fibber after all." The woman's lips puckered into a small mischievous smile as she took another puff of smoke and squinted behind her glasses.

The two streaks crashed down and rocked the world while the tanuki slyly murmured, "I reckon it'd be ill-mannered of me not to have a little... _fun_ with our guests. Ohohoho! How exciting!"

 _A couple hours later..._

" _Urggh...Goddamn it, my body feels stiff as wood..."_ Alex grumbled as he tried to move, causing only his arms to twitch.

"I'm telling ya, we should just dump their bodies off at the village and let the teach sort 'em out!" A tomboyish voice declared in a straightforward manner.

" _Voices? ...An enemy?"_ Alex kept as still and quiet as a mouse as the tomboy received a response.

"We're NOT tossing them out like yesterday's trash." The other person spoke up with an average sort-of voice. Not too chipper, but not too dour. Not too young, but not too old.

"You don't even toss out trash from last month." The tomboy replied with a sneer.

"Maybe I ought to start with you." The other girl grew snippy in a second, but the tomboy just laughed it off.

"Hahahah, but seriously, we oughta try and wake up 'em up and see what their deal is."

"I already tried prodding them with my purification rod, but..." The other girl bent down and stuck a hard stick into the top of Alex's scalp a couple times, leaving him no choice but to grit his teeth and bear it.

"See? No response. But judging from their entry, they must have come from the Outside World."

"Outsiders don't just drop from the sky like meteors and crash into a witch mindin' her own business!"

"That's just a coincidence." The girl brushed off nonchalantly.

"Coincidence...Riiiiight. I'll be havin' words with that old hag later about this."

"We're lucky these two didn't die when they crashed down."

"Yeah, cause **I** was their pillow!"

"At least that was an ensured soft landing."

"Sheesh, the only thing needing to be soft is your wit..." The tomboy giggled, by which point Alex squeezed his eyes down into an annoyed glare and had enough.

" _Alright, I think that's enough droning for one day..."_ He sprung right to his feet and swung his hands up like he was ready to perform karate. However, instead of seeing the people he heard speaking, he saw a small, humble shrine that looked as though it had been well kept for centuries. Surrounding it were a few trees lush with newly grown leaves, and behind it was an even smaller house used for storage.

" _Wha? Where did they..."_

"Look at that, the boy's as feisty as a hot pepper!" The tomboy proclaimed with excitement.

Alex lowered his head just a little bit and finally saw the two girls face-to-face. The average voice belonged to a girl wearing a red and white shrine maiden uniform, which came complete with a red skirt, red top with detached white sleeves. Her hair is brownish-black and looked a little bit dirty, yet at the same time pretty, the latter helped by her red ribbon and matching tubes on her sidelocks. With the weather a little nippy, she kept herself warm with a red and white cloth scarf wrapped around the neck. In her right hand she tapped the bane of his scalp atop her shoulder, a thin long black rod with streams of white paper attached to the top. Right now, she kept a cautious air around her as she looked at him with sagging brown-red eyes.

As for the boorish tomboy girl, well...Alex could be forgiven for not noticing her right away. She was short, abyssmally short. There are definitely plenty of children out there taller than her. The girl thus compensated for that shortcoming with a bombastic personality and a tall, saggy black witch's hat that had a snow white bow wrapped around it. At least that way she'd be able to match her friend's pretty average height. Naturally, the girl's choice of clothes were all thematically similar, but with the added touch of a faint pink apron attached to the waist. Like her friend, the girl kept warm with a bright pink scarf around the neck and a pair of gloves, which allowed her to hold onto the patched up broomstick without worry. She has somewhat frilly blonde hair and yellow eyes, but her face had some subtle masculinity to it, especially around the cheeks. There was no subtlety when it came to that grin of hers though. The girl had plans upon plans brewing in that silly little head of hers.

" _...Do I...know these two?"_ Alex squinted his eyes shut then spread them wide open, his ability to register their appearance shaken by his slow awakening.

"Hey, don't start causing trouble. We're not your enemy." The shrine maiden's voice was rough but at the same time gentle. She rested the rod down by her hip and tilted her head from right to left, examining Alex's body while raising her brows in concurrence with whatever piqued her interests.

"...Is this a kidnapping?" Alex murmured rather as he curled his hands into fists and stayed on guard.

"Hell yeah it is!" The tomboy pointed the sharp end of her broom at Alex's chest and proclaimed with an over-the-top western accent, "Spill yer pockets free of loot and I won't have to rough ya up!"

"Cut it out..." The shrine maiden groaned, then took her rod out and prodded the side of Alex's hips. The boy closed his eyes and the left side of his mouth started twitching until she stopped and placed her other hand on the chin.

"This human's a lot taller than the usual folk who get dropped in." She remarked.

"Oh! I think I heard about this from the tanuki!" The little witch snapped her fingers and turned to face her friend, "He's from a place called 'Ah-mer-ica'. Its apparently a land of giants!"

"Or maybe you're just a shrimp." Alex bluntly said while crossing his arms and looking down at her.

"Oh, and they're also a land of boisterous loud-mouths." The witch grew smug and shrugged while throwing only the slightest glance towards Alex, whose right eye began to twitch.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black." The shrine maiden remarked in turn.

"What'cha talking about? I always back up my boasts!" The witch folded her arms behind her head and grinned.

"As fun as it is watching you two gab away like schoolgirls..." He spoke out with the utmost sarcasm, "Have you seen a girl about my age around here? She's as tall as me, has blonde hair, and is pretty..."

As he raised his hands towards his chest to demonstrate her particular 'blessings' he froze up and began to blush, causing his arms to droop down before he finished, "Ahem...'gifted'."

"Have you tried looking to your right?" The witch nudged her head that way.

"...Have I tried looking to my right..." Alex rolled his eyes and began to slowly swivel his head that way, "How stupid do you think I-"

Sure enough, Shina was lying on the ground just to the right of him, and she was beginning to wake up. Alex widened his eyes and faced the witch, who grinned slyly at the metaphorical egg on his face. He swiftly ignored her and bent down at Shina, who pulled her head up and opened her eyes rather easily.

"Yaaaaaaaaahhhaaah...Mmmm, haven't slept like that since I left home..."

"You feeling ok?" Alex reached for her arms and glided his fingers along the skin, which remained as smooth as silk.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm fine..." She planted a hand on the ground and started to lift up, so Alex gave her space. She paused partway up and looked at the two girls, blinking a couple times before murmuring a delightful but familiar, "Ah...hello there!"

Alex leaned his head close to her ear and whispered, "Do you recognize these two? I swear their names are on the tip of my tongue..."

"How could ya not recognize them? Its Reimu and Marisa..." Her observation was so on the nose that it caught even her by surprise. After widening her eyes she shot right up, clobbering Alex in the nose so hard he's bowled right onto his back.

"Ah! AH!" Shina's eyes brightened up like stardust as she thrust a pointer finger up and waved them back and forth between the two.

"I think she's spooked." The witch commented.

"Doesn't look like it. I think she's...excited?" The shrine maiden tilted her head and raised her brows as her suspicion of disbelief was being stretched.

Shina flinched for a second and then bowed her head before apologizing, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude!"

She sprung a couple steps forward and thrust her right hand out towards the shrine maiden, "The name's Shina! Shina Aurora!"

"...Huh?" The maiden remained flabbergasted, so the witch jumped in right away and bumped her aside to steal the handshake with a very rough up-and-down swing.

"The name's Reimu Hakurei! I'll personally handle any donations you wanna give my shrine!"

"Marisa!" The shrine maiden snapped, "Stop trying to swindle the outsiders!"

"It'd be an honest exchange Reimu. Don't tell me ya wouldn't want some money?" Marisa turns her head with a smirk.

"How _desperate_ do you think I am?" Reimu's right eye twitched, while behind them, a puff of dust shot out of the donation box on the shrine's porch.

She then waved her left hand up at Marisa's face to shoo her away so she could walk up in front of Shina and properly introduce herself.

"I'm Reimu Hakurei. The hyperactive wild child beside me is Marisa Kirisame."

"Sup!" Marisa raised the lip of her hat and grinned.

 **Reimu Hakurei ~ The Laziest Hard-Working Shrine Maiden**

 **Marisa Kirisame ~ A Spunky, Ordinary Magical Thief**

"So you two came from 'Ah-mer-ica'? Is it true that every human there are superstrong giants?" Marisa started right in on the questions, overwhelming Shina a little.

"A...America? Oh no no no, I don't know what Alex told ya, but I'm an Aurian, not an American." Shina laid a hand atop her chest and smiled gently.

"Ya don't say? Guess they just grow 'em giant everywhere but here," Marisa rubbed her shoulders up near her head and smirked, "Boy I really got gipped when it comes to my birthplace. Coulda had a couple more inches of height if I was born anywhere else."

"Now you're starting to sound like that inchling." Reimu mumbled dryly.

"Hah! I'm just playing around Reimu." Marisa winked her friend's way and then tucked both hands comfortably behind her head.

"...Anyways..." Reimu sighed and tilted her head back to look into Shina's eyes, "You were dropped right into Gensokyo. Do you have any recollection of what happened prior to arriving?"

"Well, Alex and I were-" Her voice became muffled as Alex lightly placed a hand over her mouth. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the tip of his nose was now a lightly bruised red. He then pulled his hand back and peered over at the duo to apologize, "Sorry, can you give us a moment of privacy?"

"What?" Reimu remarked as Shina began to turn and follow Alex a couple steps down the stone walkway. The girl turned and clasped her hands together to throw a sincere whisper of 'Sorry' at the maiden, whose mouth was spreading into a disbelieving scowl.

"I'm getting some really suspicious vibes from those two..."

"Aww, you're worrying too much Reimu." Marisa said while slapping her firm on the back, causing her to stumble a little bit forward. Once she had reoriented herself, Reimu lifted her head up and placed a hand on the chin to mumble, "Maybe you're right. They do just seem like regular humans..."

After getting clear of the duo, Alex crossed his arms against the chest while Shina reached a hand out for his nose and gave it a gentle rub, "I didn't meant to hit you so hard Alex..."

"I-I know you didn't, don't worry about it, it'll heal fast." Alex turned his head and blushed, feeling as though he was being tended to like a child.

Shina clutched her fingers in and pulled back, sensing that feeling protruding from the boy's embarrased face, "So what'd ya want to talk about?"

"T-Talk about?" Alex was in a daze for a moment from Shina's warm touch, "Oh right..."

He stiffened upright and with a firm swing of his head remarked, "Why don't we start with the fact that we're in freakin' Gensokyo?!"

"Oh, oh yeah...I guess that did cross my mind as a little odd." Shina spoke with mild surprise.

"Just a _little_? Who knows how off course we are now!" Alex proclaimed as loud as he could without alerting the others while also swinging his arms right out.

"Are we? Are we reeeaaally?" Shina responded with a small sly smile and a swift wink.

"Shina..." Alex growled with a little irritation, but then in the midst of crossing his arms he breathed through his nostrils and listened intently, "...What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking...The Cosmos Drive is hidden somewhere within Gensokyo!"

Alex raised his brows, so she swung her hands up and stay assured in her theory, "Hear me out! The artifact was guiding us to another Earth ya? So whoever said it was leading us TO the planet?"

"You're saying it wanted us to purposefully run into the Hakurei Barrier?"

"The artifact hasn't led us wrong before, why would it now?"

"Better double-check the stone to make sure. It always loses its glow when we're at our destination."

"Yeah sure, just gimme a sec to-" Shina twisted her body down and looked at her hip. She patted her back pockets like she was performing a light dusting and then murmured a drab, "Uh-oh!"

"Uh-oh? No no don't give me an 'uh-oh'!" Alex stammered in disbelief.

Swinging her left hand back in a haste Shina said, "Don't fret Alex! I think I know what's going on here..."

With an unassuming smile, Shina laid her hands down and stared over at Marisa. After a casual approach she leaned towards the magician and closed her eyes to ask, "Excuse me...did either of you see a round stone when you found us?"

"A round stone? Would it happen to be a stone with a bunch of names etched onto it?" Marisa remarked.

"Yeah!" Shina nodded.

"Haven't seen hide or hair of one, sorry!" Marisa leaned back and whistled, while some mass within her hat began to push out. Reimu glared aside at her friend with one eye open and then prodded Marisa's hat up with the tip of her rod, revealing the artifact hidden atop her head.

"...Whoops, busted!" Marisa gasped for a second but then smirked as Reimu reached under her hat and plucked the stone key right out.

"You literally pillaged them while they were unconscious?" Reimu's jaw almost slacked off the side of her face from how in disbelief she was.

"Ah-ah-ah, pillage is such a harsh word Reimu. Think of it like a... _tax_ for my broken broom. I'd have given it back to them eventually."

"A tax? I see that kappa's expanded your repertoire of excuses," Reimu sighed and then tossed the stone over to Shina, who swiped it right up in her hands while the maiden remarked, "You caught on pretty quick. Maybe you have what it takes to survive in Gensokyo."

"Hey no hard feelings right?" Marisa was still smirking as she attempted to apologize.

"Its no big deal! I can see how'd you be attracted to this thing though, its got that 'air of mystery' you don't find very often out there."

"See? She gets it!" Marisa said with a smug look towards Reimu, who sighed for a moment and murmured to herself, "I take that back, you're probably screwed..."

"So what's up with that thing anyways? It looks pretty important." Reimu could determine from a cursory glance.

Shina glanced back at Alex, whose cross gaze told her everything she needed to respond, "Alex, I think we can trust 'em?"

"After Marisa just thieved you in broad daylight?" Alex replied.

"Ahem, you mean, 'borrowing'?" Marisa objected loudly.

"You know, maybe if you kept all that hot air stuffed in your body you'd actually grow taller than the average ten year old." Alex responded with sharp snide, but could only get Marisa to chuckle.

"Haaaaa..." Alex dropped his right arm by his hip and waved the other fingers out from his chest, "Go right ahead Shina. Just keep it brief."

"Right-o!" Shina clapped her hands together after placing the stone snuggly into the back of her pants and looked at Reimu and Marisa.

"So it's like this. Alex and I've been traveling around for quite a while looking for pieces to an artifact that would lead us to this super powerful object called the Cosmos Drive. Well, our trail just happened to lead us to Gensokyo, so we're wondering if either of you've happened to hear anything about it?" Shina clapped her hands together and presented herself with a surprising degree of maturity as she further pleaded, "Pretty please? A lotta lives are depending on us finding the Cosmos Drive."

"Cosmos...Drive?" Reimu tilted her head aside and then shook it a little, "No, can't say I've heard of it."

"Same 'ere." Marisa replied just as quick.

"Oh..." Shina's face sunk with mild disappointment, but then brightened up with a tiny smile as she said, "That's fine. We'll just take a look around Gensokyo and see what we can find."

" _Huh, how about that..."_ Alex stayed fixated on her with eyes wide in surprise as she began to turn around. But then Reimu clasped a hand down atop her right shoulder and held her in place.

"Hold on a second, you're going to want to think twice before you just go wandering around all willy-nilly."

"Eh?" Shina blinked a couple times as she glanced back.

Reimu pulled back and lowered her rod next to her hip as she started to sound a little more focused, "Look, I don't know what you know about Gensokyo, but this place isn't anything like the Outside World."

"Yeah! It's populated by tons of wild and nasty Youkai!" Marisa rushed up to Shina and used her broom to prop herself up and rub against her face with a spooky look in her eyes, "One wrong move and you'll be a vampire's supper, or an oni'll drag you to hell kicking and screaming! But perhaps the worst thing of all...is that a goblin may steal your undergarments when you're sleeping!"

Reimu grabbed Marisa by her scarf and pulled her down to relatively solid ground on her butt, then tapped her rod against the back of her neck and remarked, "Ok, she might have been exaggerating a little, but you should listen to what she's saying. If you want to go around Gensokyo, you need some protection."

"And luckily for you, Reimu's up to the task free of charge!" Marisa sprung up and wrapped her right arm around her friend's back to hang on.

"What? No I'm not. You do it." Reimu looked the witch square in the eyes with an intense glare.

"Ze? Why am I now the designated babysitter? Ain't it your job to handle this?"

"I think being a tour guide's proper penance for your earlier thievery, Marisa."

"Now you're starting to sound like that lecturing bureaucrat. Sheesh, no wonder your shrine's as empty as that ice fairy's brain."

Squeezing down her right arm atop Marisa's own to lock her in place, Reimu edged her face closer to hers and scowled, "Wanna say that again Marisa?"

"Say what? That yer shrine's as dry as year-old wheat?"

Sparks literally began to fly between their eyes as their argument appeared ready to accelerate into a troublesome scene. Alex groaned and murmured, "Oh to hell with this..."

He flicked his right hand up and summoned a tiny ember above his palm. Just like that, fire was fought and overcome by fire, and the two faced them with eyes wide with surprise.

"Right, so that's that..." Alex put the flame out by closing his fist and then started to turn around. But before he could even take a single step Reimu pulled away from Marisa and ran straight at him while proclaiming, "Now hang on just a second!"

"Uggh..." Alex glanced over his right shoulder with his eyelids halfway shut, showing just how little of a shit he gave at this point, "What NOW?"

Whipping her right hand up to point at Alex's face, Reimu starting toss out accusations like crazy, "I shoulda pegged you for a troublemaker from the start! I bet you're just itching to go beat up Youkai for information, aren't you?"

"Well, that _was_ my first idea," He begrudingly admitted while rubbing the back of his head and twisting around to look at Reimu's puffed up cheeks and flagrant disregard for his nonsense, "What of it?"

"Good grief..." Reimu pinched the center of her nose and grumbled obscenities under her breath for a few seconds before sighing, "This isn't a place you can just go around acting like a thug. There's certain laws you have to follow around here, and I'm not letting you go until you learn them all."

"Just toss me a rulebook, I'll read it on the way." Alex said while brushing his hands out beside his hips without a care.

"Yeah, you _definitely_ strike me as the reading type," Reimu's tone turned crass as she told him off, "You'd probably just burn it first chance you get."

"...Fine," Not wanting any further verbal wounds, Alex sucked it up and remarked after closing his eyes, "Just make it quick, ok?"

"Trust me, I will," Reimu placed her rod on the ground and then extended her left hand out, summoning a glowing card with a picture of some colorful bullets sprayed across it, "In Gensokyo, conflicts are resolved with Spell Card Duels. Spell Cards are the manifestation of your power through the use of harmless Danmaku. The goal of a duel is to break all of your opponents' spell cards before they break yours. So as long as you follow these simple instructions, Gensokyo won't become a smoldering crater. Got it?"

As she dispelled the card, Shina nodded her head a few times and pretended like she was writing down notes on a paper made of aura. Alex, however, tilted his aside and snidely remarked, "That felt like a pretty half-assed explanation. How are you expecting me to just create 'Danmaku'?"

"Well it might be tough at first, but hey, I've seen plenty of other idiots pull it off." Reimu stated with a disgusting amount of nonchalance.

"...You wanna repeat that?" Alex gave a nasty scowl while his arms tensed up against the chest as though he was itching for a fight.

"Fine, fine," Reimu stretched back and exclaimed, "Hey Marisa, why don't you give them a demonstration?"

"I don't know Reimu, I wouldn't want to spoil them with the best Danmaku Gensokyo has to offer right away!"

"Then its a good thing they'd be starting with you." Reimu responded as she turned back.

"Ho! You've got me all fired up now!" Marisa turned her hat ten degrees to the left and threw her broom out, bouncing right atop it a second later with perfect balance. She then waved her hands back with a wide and challenging smirk before exclaiming, "Alright! Which one of you'll be my first victim?!"

"Well, you heard her Shina. You're up!" Alex backed off and swayed his arms out like a butler in a fancy restaurant.

"H-Huh?! But you're the one who's supposed to be-"

"I'll learn from example! Go get 'em champ!" Alex peppered his words with an abundant amount of energy to overwhelm Shina's confusion, and thus the girl swiftly relented.

"Well, it'll probably be fun." Shina put on a smile and slanted her brows down as she flew up to meet Marisa in a duel. The witch's eyes widened and she let out a sharp whistle.

"So ya can fly on our own eh? You're just full of surprises! But that just means I ain't gonna take this easy!" Marisa held her right pointer finger adjacent to her waist and swung it up, tracing a sparkling white light into the air just for show.

"I'll show ya one of my personal favorites!" A glistening bright card appeared from thin air as she grit her teeth and got super excited.

"Magic Space 'Asteroid Belt'!" The card shattered and spread about like glitter, making a distinct bursting sound that sounded similar to a gong. A mere second later, dozens of glassy red stars shoot off in a sphere around Marisa, followed by dozens of blue stars coming right after. The Danmaku kept firing out with barely a second between waves, alternating between red and blue. It spread out so that one blue star would always be surrounded by four red stars and vice versa, but left just enough space between them for a human to feasibly slip their way past.

"Whoa!" Shina widened her eyes and picked up the pace in an instant. She glided around with the floatiness of a feather and grazed the immeasurible volley of Danmaku flying her way, even if it meant sucking her stomach in to do so.

Marisa stayed completely still but comfortable atop her broom, watching Shina zip around and avoid her bullets like a fly would falling raindrops. With a steady kicking of her feet off the wayside, the little witch commented with great surprise, "Well golly, I wasn't expectin' ya to be so nimble!"

Smirking bright and wide, Marisa swung her right fist up and exclaimed, "But not all spell cards are that simple, mine especially!"

Shina wasn't allowed to pause and register the fact that Marisa's assault had only just begun until the second part of it made contact with her in the form of a flurry of tiny green and yellow stars. The little stars came from the left and right and seemed to blend in perfectly with the rest of Marisa's Danmaku pattern, narrowing Shina's options for evasion down rapidly.

She took a bunch of tiny stars to the hips while trying to back off, where the bigger stars spread further out and offered her more room to manuever. The feeling of Danmaku against her body was similar to mosquito bites, but without the threat of her skin being left wounded.

Cracking a half-hearted smile while building up a sweat from how much she was moving around, Shina yelled out in a worried haste, "S-So how long do you want me to keep this up for?"

"Huh?" Marisa tilted her head back and said, "Wait, you're expecting me to time out? This ain't one of those kinda spell cards! You might want to try fightin' back!"

"My options are kinda limited like this..." Shina wasn't afraid to admit as a blue star came within millimeters of her gut, causing her heart to skip a beat as she flipped over it, only to have a couple more stars graze past her legs.

"Weeeeell, I guess I can make an exception just this once since it's a demonstration. Here...lemme just show you how bombs work real quick." Marisa reached into her dress and whipped out an octagonal block made of wood that was adorned with an eight trigrams print in a circle on its front.

Throwing the mini-Hakkero into the air and catching it between her right fingers, Marisa cracked a bright and merry grin as she funneled her magical powers into the center of the handcrafted furnance.

"Whenever you're feeling in a pickle, a bomb'll always clean up whatever pesky Danmaku's in your way! See, a spell card duel ain't just about winning! Its about asserting your dominance through a deadly and elegant dance of bullets!"

As the mini-Hakkero finished charging with a glistening flash of light as bright as the sun above, Marisa held on tight to her hat and exclaimed, "Taste the culmination of all my hard work and magical majesty! MAASTEEER..."

Shina's eyes widened, not in fear, but in utter glee as the mini-Hakkero chamber burst wide open and unleashed a devastating white hot laser beam right at her.

"SPAAAAAARRRKK!" Marisa was shot back a good ten feet even with her body anchoring her broom down with the resistance of a boulder. But the diverted course didn't affect the speed nor the power of the Master Spark, which smashed into Shina and blew her right back into the top of the shrine's gateway, known as a torii.

The attack lasted an instant, but judging from the pleased smile on Shina's face that instance will be a memory that lasts a lifetime. After her impact broke a chunk right off the center of the torii, she rebounded and fell towards the ground, where Alex flew right over to catch her in his arms.

"You could've dodged that..." Alex reprimanded her with mild concern, seeing how she her body remained pretty much unharmed by such a devastating looking attack.

"When else am I gonna get the chance to say I got hit by a Master Spark?" Shina responded with a proud look in her eyes as she gave the boy a merry wink.

"Haaaa..." Alex closed his eyes and shook his head, "You can have some really skewed priorities sometimes Shina."

He let her down gently and turned towards Marisa, who landed on the ground and snatched the broom up into her right hand, popping the mini-Hakkero under her hat while nudging the lip of it up.

"And that's how you do a Spell Card Duel!" She turned to look at Reimu with her eyes closed, thus becoming unaware of the peeved glare the maiden was currently drilling into her skull.

"Whatcha say Reimu? That was some pretty top-notch teaching if I do say so myself!"

"Marisa, you're going to patch up the torii later whether you like it or not!" Reimu proclaimed, her utterly furious tone making her resemble a rampaging demon. Marisa's eyes shot right open and her body began to shiver as she became hesitant to look back and see the damage her reckless abandon had caused.

"Ooooh, tough luck there Reimu," Marisa puffed out with genuine remorse, but then snapped right back to her usual self by snapping her fingers out and saying, "But hey, just put it on my bill and I'll get back to you on it later!"

"Mrrrmmm, fine." Reimu reluctantly grumbled, then peeped through one of her eyes to say to her still present company, "So that's Danmaku in a nutshell. If you still have any questions, then tough luck, I've never been the tutorial type."

"I...think I get the gist of it," Shina smiled with only the mildest of hesitation, "Gracefulness, elegance...and domination. Those're the three keys to winning a Spell Card Duel!"

"Looks like my lesson stuck after all! Yeah, you'll get the hang of these down pat in no time! Though ya might want to work on that dominating part. You're not gonna be winning any duels just by twirling around like a ballerina." Marisa imparted that last bit of advice free of charge, which considering her, was an act of generosity so great that even the gods would be shocked.

"I should be fine, but thanks!" Shina replied.

"Well this was all fine and dandy, but we don't have a damn clue where to start investigating." Alex said in a gruff voice.

"Why not try the Scarlet Devil Mansion?" Marisa spoke up enthusiastically with her hands crossed behind her head, while Reimu glared at her with an objection clearly present on the tip of her tongue.

"Why there?" Alex inquired.

"The librarian there dabbles in magical artifacts. Maybe she'd know a thing or two about your Cosmos Drive?"

"Magical artifacts? Yeah, I guess that'd be the place the start then." Alex was pretty agreeable, then looked over at Shina and asked, "Shall we head out then?"

"Yeah!" She exclaimed excitedly. Turning to face the two, she waved her hand up and said, "It was nice meeting ya! Maybe we'll see each other again sometime!"

She then joined Alex in taking flight away from the shrine. Marisa grinned with a chuckle while Reimu walked up beside her and remarked, "Sending them straight to that vampire's place. Smooth, Marisa, smooth."

"Hey, they didn't seem too worried about it. And neither were you." Marisa glanced back with a continued smirk of confidence.

"...Well, I keep getting this nagging feeling there's more to those two than they're letting on." Reimu leaned back and started to rub her chin in deep concentration.

"Eh you're thinkin' too hard about this. They'll make a fine distraction."

"Yeah, I guess they-" Reimu swings her head down and throws a glare towards Marisa, who's already hopping atop her broomstick raring to go.

"I knew it. You just want to go steal that librarian's books again." Reimu spat up the dullest of sighs.

"Hey, ya think too little of me Reimu," Marisa frowned, "I'm looking to get some excitement outta this too!"

"Whatever Marisa, just make sure those two don't become that vampire's lunch, ok?"

"Yeah yeah, I'll give her a good smacking if she starts nibbling on their flesh." Marisa replied while adjusting her hat in place ready to fly.

"Preferably BEFORE they're dead?" Reimu insisted with the nagginess of a housewife.

Marisa just flashed a smirk and then rocketed off with a burst of magic trailing behind her. Reimu sighed and used her rod as support for her arms, the nagging feeling in her head refusing to go away.

"Come to think about it, that boy didn't give up his name..." Somehow, that was the thing that had bothered her the most, "Those two reckless idiots are going to be more trouble than they're worth. Maybe I should've reined them in some more..."

Shrugging her shoulders as she stood upright, Reimu stretched her arms up high and let out a yawn, "Eh...Maybe after I take a nap."

She then retreated to her relatively cozy shrine for some good ol' R&R, hoping that she wouldn't be awakened by an "Incident" being caused by those bizarre newcomers...

 _Next Time: The Vampire's Invitation_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Vampire's Allure**

Soaring high through the skies of Gensokyo, Alex and Shina left the dainty Hakurei Shrine behind and found themselves engrossed by what the rest of the land had to offer. At the bottom of the stairs leading to the shrine was a small village littered with buildings built out of nothing but wood and a little bit of stone, and surrounding its borders was a forest whose canopies secreted a fine mist of pure magic.

But the trees coverage was ended a couple hundred yards north of the village by a thick maze of bamboo stalks. East of the village was a lone monk's temple, and just farther beyond that were a series of tall mountains with a shrine just visible atop the tallest one. And on the northern edge of the mountain range was a garden of beautiful golden sunflowers.

"Wooooow..." Shina gasped so happily her voice cracked, "So this is Gensokyo..."

"Yeah...wow..." Even Alex couldn't fight the smile that was spreading across his face, "This place looks pretty well-kept considering its a playground for monsters."

"The gorgeous green scenery, the crisp morning air..." Shina pulled her head back and took a whiff, letting her draping, golden locks flutter in the breeze as she mellowed out with a delighted sigh, "I could live here forever..."

"I'll say. This is like the first planet we've been to that actually feels..." Alex peeked up just a bit more and saw an upside-down castle positioned in the sky above the northern rim of Gensokyo. As his eyelids drooped down his enthusiasm deflated into disappointment, "...down-to-earth."

Now that Alex had received a firm slap to the face from reality, he faced Shina and overheard her humming a soft melody as she let the wind guide her along. With her arms stretched out and eyes shut, she reminded Alex of a canary.

"Shina. Hey!" Alex floated in closer and prodded her exposed armpit. With a giggle her arms snapped together in an embrace against her chest and so creaked her eyes open partway.

"What's up?" She asked, still in a giggling mood.

"Is the artifact glowing or not?" He responded with a wave of the hand and a furrowed nudge of the brows.

"Oh right!" Shina whipped the stone right out and only had to prop it up for a second to see that the stone was as dull as a dead lightbulb.

"See? Told ya my instincts were on the tongue!" Shina puffed up her chest with a prideful smirk as she put the stone back behind her.

"On the...tongue? You mean on the nose," Alex paused and tried to put some faith that Shina's just screwing around, "...Right?"

"Nuh-uh!" Shina bobbed her head around with a lot of energy and then locked it dead center with a determined look in her eyes.

"Cause the Cosmos Drive is so close..." Shina stuck out her tongue and lathered her lips with a slow spread of saliva, "I can _taste_ it!"

Alex blinked a couple times and then smirked before cheering for their immediate triumph, "Then what are we waiting for?! Lets charge headfirst into the devil's abode!"

Leading the charge with his fist thrust out, Alex kicked up his speed and rocketed ahead of Shina towards the frosty lake to the northwest of the village. Shina widened her eyes and murmured, "Wow, Alex's really getting into it! It's got me all fired up to do my best too!"

Shina hustled after him without losing the feel of the spring winds around her. Once she caught up they descended over the lake's surface, leaving ripples atop it. The temperature dropped a few degrees and the air grew foggy. Thankfully, their destination cast a visible enough shadow that they couldn't _possibly_ get lost.

"Just up ahead. Say Alex, I just thought of something..." Shina tilted his way but he held his hand out and interrupted, "Hold on, we've got company."

A small fleet of tiny shadows was flying right at them, their appearances illuminated by the wide waves of Danmaku they launched out.

"FAIRIES!" Shina screamed out like she just had a stroke.

"Gah! My ears...!" Alex groaned, then ended up being pelted by some of the Danmaku while he rubbed the side of his head. The bullets were like pin needles on the skin, annoying but nothing worth getting mad about.

By the time he faced forward the head-sized fairies, all of whom wore simple different colored dresses, were now visible. They were all smiling in bliss as they threw their Danmaku out without a care.

"Awww, they want to play." Shina said, her eyes sparkling in reaction to their cuteness.

"There's other fish in the sea...Errr, lake." Alex scratched the back of his head and grumbled.

Shina's giggle at his attempted metaphor left his cheeks a light shade of red. He tried to shake it off and stay focused, then shot forth alongside Shina past the fairies, leaving them in the dust. But before they could reach the mansion itself, there was one more horror to overcome. Yes, a fairy very well-known for loitering around this lake still stood in their way, their catchphrase announced so terrifyingly sudden that it could leave a _chill_ down your spine.

"SPRING IS HERE!"

A fairy that was more Marisa's size came gallavanting along, spreading sparkling pink Danmaku out in a bloom pattern around her pleasantly white-dressed body. Flying blindly through the air with her eyes shut and an endless smile on her face, the little fairy had no idea that Alex and Shina were there and continued to spread Danmaku in their way.

"Oh for crying out loud..." Alex slammed his feet against the air to stop and swung his arms up to block Danmaku, "Are we just going to keep getting ambushed by fairies wherever we go?"

"This' just her way of announcing spring, she's not lookin' for a fight..." Shina said while weaving her body back and forth past the Danmaku.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Then she won't mind if I do...THIS!" Alex swung his arms out and then rocketed forward. Shina gasped with her mouth open wide, but there was no need for alarm. Alex just flew right past Lily White and caused her to spin around and around like a tilting top, which halted her Danmaku.

"Oh!" She blurted, "I thought he was gonna..."

Proud of Alex's restraint, Shina smiled and caught right up to him, leaving a dizzy Lily White to mumble "Spring is here" like she was drunk off her mind.

After a couple more seconds they finally arrive at the opposite edge of the lake, where a classy European style manor awaited them beyond a small thicket of trees. The manor was predominately red, and had very few windows to its name. There was a clock tower on the left side of the roof, and some chimneys a little to the right of it. On its second story was a foyer with a curved fence that offered plenty of room for surveyance, though it was difficult to imagine there being much to see thanks to the fog.

Otherwise, the only other thing of note was the front door area. There was a gate and a fence to ward intruders off, but the fence wasn't that tall and the spikes looked dull so even a child could wander in if they tried hard enough.

"Alex, we're NOT barging in." Shina put a firm foot down as they landed at the edge of the tiny forest before the mansion.

"What? I wasn't planning on-"

"Don't gimme that, I've seen that look in yer eye plenty of times," Shina patiently reprimanded the boy with a smile on her face, "That's your 'attack first, ask questions later' glare."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Alex said, his eyebrows locked in a downward slant while his pupils just _beamed_ with aggression.

"There are rules we must follow. We'll go through the front door like any other guest." Shina pretended to be fancy by lifting just her pinky up by her face.

As she took a step forward, Alex crossed his arms and said, "NOW we're following the rules? Need I remind you of that time you illegally broke into a government facility?"

Shina froze up and her eyes shrank as she swung back and proclaimed embarrassed, "Y-You did too!"

"So? Not like I've ever pretended to be a law-abiding citizen." Alex said with a close-eyed shrug.

Shina waltzed up and took his hands into her own, putting them up near her chest. With a pleasant smile she looked into his eyes and asked, "Could ya do it just this one time? Pleeeaaaaseee?"

All the gods in the universe couldn't compete against her disarming smile. With a sigh, Alex nodded once and said, "Ok fine. We'll knock on the door."

"Oh thank you Alex!" Shina bounced up and clapped her hands next to her chest, then spun around and brandished a finger towards the mansion. Alex left his arms in a slump and smiled half-heartedly, his eyes glazed over in embarrassment.

"You didn't have to go and aim your smile at me like that..." He whispered to himself.

The two edge a little closer to the gate, where they find a person resting up against the stone pillar on the left side. Its another girl, but this one is a little taller and leaner than Reimu and Marisa were. She had long scarlet hair that stretched down her back, topped off by a green beret with a gold star on the front. Her dress had the same color as a beret, and looked like what you'd expect on an ancient Chinese martial artist, with a slight military vibe in the mix. Though she was leaning back with her arms crossed and eyes shut, there was little to suggest she was sleeping beyond a slowed rate of breathing.

Alex paused and raised his right brow to observe the lazy gatekeeper in "action" for a few seconds before delivering his judgment, "I guess she really DOES slack off all the time."

"So looks so tranquil. I feel tired just looking at her..." Shina's eyelids began to droop, so Alex brushed her with a cold breeze from the wave of his hand and said, "You already dozed off once."

Fluttering her eyelashes dozens of times to wake up, she then remarked, "Well we can't get in if she's asleep."

"Of course we can. We just have to wake her up." Alex took one step forward and Shina started to move her fingernails up to her mouth.

"Oooh I don't like the sound of that..."

"What?" Alex turned back and gestured his arms out with a nonchalant look in his eyes, "I'm just going to give her a couple knocks on the forehead. That should be enough."

With a gentle hiss, Shina stepped back a couple feet and let Alex go through with his plan. He didn't even wait to turn around, and raised a fist up with all knuckles bearing down on the gatekeeper's forehead.

An arrow made of dragon's fire burned right through Alex's spine as he heard the growl of the divine's beasts fury as though he was standing in its jaw. A second later, his feet left the ground as visions of greenery were replaced with a blurry look at the sky. Then, he was spun around and pounded face first into the ground like a wooden peg, his chin eating dirt as a sharp pain snapped down through his left wrist to his shoulder and pressure applied to his back.

The gatekeeper had sprung to action faster than the human eye could catch, and with just two hands on the boy's wrist and elbow and one foot on his back she had incapicitated him completely.

"Ha! Should've thought twice before you tried to get the drop on me Yo-" Her fired-up, boastful pride was interrupted by her staring straight down at the back of Alex's head and noticing something peculiar.

"Wait...You're a human!" The gatekeeper dropped his arm in a second and hopped off, her face wild with bewilderment.

With his arm now saggier than a wet ramen noodle, Alex punched the ground and got right onto his feet, twisting his aching limb around the shoulder a few times while grumbling, "Of course I'm a human! What did you think I was?!"

"You were radiating a lot of aggression. I thought you were a Youkai. Sorry about that." The gatekeeper replied with an earnest apology.

As the pain caused him to grit his teeth and close his eyes, Alex grumbled under his breath, "First I was kidnapped, then mugged, then assaulted...They need some damn police officers in Gensokyo, god..."

"You ARE kinda responsible for that last one," Shina stepped on thin ice to point that out, "Ya shoulda not gone through with that."

"Huh?" The gatekeeper swung her head to the right and looked Shina in the eyes with surprise, "Your presence! I almost didn't catch it! Are you one of those monks who has trained on the mountains for dozens of years to free your mind?!"

"Nope!" Shina said in delight, "My name is Shina! Shina Aurora! A pleasure to meet you Ms. Gatekeeper!"

She swung her hand up and the gatekeeper didn't hesitate to firmly grasp it and give it a quick shake, "Pleasure's mine! The name's Hong Meiling, but you can call me whatever you want. The people around here have a lot of names for me, like 'China', 'that gatekeeper' or 'slacking off person'."

 **Hong Meiling ~ Crouching Gatekeeper, Hidden Dragon**

Pulling her hand back with a slight awkard chuckle, Meiling tucked her hands behind and spread her legs a foot apart while Shina took a moment to wave the momentary throbbing sensation in her hand.

"Well Meiling, we're sorry for interrupting your nap." She started off with while rubbing the bottom of her palm.

"I didn't even see what happened. I just felt a flood of aggression coming my way and reacted accordingly." Meiling turned to look at Alex with a curious, wide-eyed tilt of the head.

"Oh, Alex thought it'd be a good idea to use your forehead like a door knocker." Shina spoke so casually she couldn't possibly have realized how much she was throwing Alex under the bus.

"You don't have to sound so cavalier about it..." He groaned.

"Who knocks on someone's head to wake them up?" Meiling crossed her arms and looked further baffled.

"Oh I'm sorry I left my alarm clock at home!" Alex blurted out, tired of the fact that he's been completely caught with his pants down at his knees.

"You...could've just said 'Hello'." The only thing she could do now is scratch the side of her head and glare at the boy, wondering just when he had lost his marbles. Alex caught on pretty quick to that and glared at her with the intensity of a furnace, complete with smoke coming out of his head.

"Soooo..." Meiling steadily turned back to Shina and struck-up a conversation in a more pleasant tone of voice, "Its not very often we find humans daring enough to come to the mansion on their own. Were you invited by the Mistress?"

"We came here on our own actually." Shina replied.

"On your own?"

"Yeah, there's something we need to ask of your librarian."

"Hmmm..." Meiling leaned back on the pillar and tapped a foot down, the squirming muscles in her forehead suggesting she was having trouble gathering her thoughts. She then pulled away and shrugged her shoulders without any malicious intent.

"I don't mean anything bad towards the Mistress when I say this, but I really don't want to be considered responsible for you being her next supper."

"Well maybe this'll change your tune." Alex snapped his fingers out over his crossed left elbow and ignited a spark of fire at his pointer fingertip. He then tilted his head to the left and flashed a brief, smug smirk.

"Whoa!" Meiling hopped three feet back and skid along the ground, throwing her arms up in a defensive stance for a brief moment before the flame's glow basked in the glaze of her eyes.

"Fire magic?" Meiling's eyes raised in sync with her gasp, "I get it now! You must be magicians in training seeking Lady Patchouli's guidance!"

"Wrong on both counts," Alex pulled his finger back in and waved his hands around, "Lets just say we're not from around here and leave it at that."

Meiling stood straight up and cracked a smile as she walked back to the gate, "Well, the good news is that you probably won't be on the menu anytime soon."

He threw a casual punch at the center of the gate to get them swung open, then leaned back up against her post and remarked with some concern, "The bad news? Well..."

She tried her best to keep her smile going as she said, "Just go with the flow and you should be fine. Just let it flow...like a steady river."

As Meiling brushed her right palm out against the empty air and went into a meditative trance, Alex motioned towards the door for Shina. The two quietly walked over and pressed on the side of the giant doors to make their way inside. If the mansion's denizens hadn't been alerted to their presence yet, the loud creak of the doors rubbing against the floor will likely do a good enough job.

But as Alex waltzed right in without a care to his name, he was surprised by how empty the entrance was. There was a staircase that split left and right halfway up and plenty of hallways to explore in all corners of the room, but not a single soul treaded them. Natural light evaded this place like the plague, leaving the atmosphere of the mansion draped in a dreary crimson, and only the freshness of the nearby potted flowers would suggest that someone had been here recently.

Shina lingered behind Alex and gazed across the room, the hairs on her arms sticking up on end.

"Ooooh, this is kinda spooky. Much spookier than Rachel's manor..." She put her hands on Alex's shoulders, and her shivering became a part of his body. His will to resist melting, Alex just let out a sigh.

"Never thought you'd see one vampire's mansion let alone two, did you?" He teased.

"No. But its quite exciting!" Her optimism remained unscathed as she pulled away from Alex.

"Now, how are we going to find-"

"HELLOOOOO?!" Shina cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed. The sudden jolt of her voice caused Alex to bite down on the tip of his tongue before he spun around and blurted through his grit teeth, "You trying to get us killed?!"

"Huh? Its fine Alex! We already got the invitation to come in!" She retreated with her hands swung up next to her face.

"From the gatekeeper sure, doesn't mean everyone else knows or is ok with it."

"Yes, that gatekeeper has definitely gotten lax in her line of duty these days." An eloquent, easy-going woman took the two by complete surprise by showing up right behind them. As they leapt back, they let out a hollow screech and their skin ended up as pale as a ghost for a brief second.

The woman wasn't frightening as far as appearance goes. She was quite eloquently dressed in a dark blue French maid's outfit complete with a white apron and a green ribbon tied just below the neck. Her skin was fair and her eyes an average shade of grey. Her silver hair was worn in long braids on the sides of her face, and topped off by a white maid's headband. Stuck to a band wrapped around her right thigh were three sharp, simple knives, and her choice of footwear was a pair of high heel slippers with blue straps over her socks.

The woman remained as serene as a statue, making it difficult to tell who she was looking at, if she was doing that at all. One arm was subtly inching towards the knives, the other crawling out of her dress' pocket with a silver chain slipping off the fingers. Alex composed himself the fastest with a single gulp but was still bothered by one thing.

" _I didn't even sense her..."_

The maid's eyes crept a little to the left, and then down to the boy's left pocket. She then looked him in the face for a second and began to close her eyes, "I received no word of an invitation being sent out, but regardless...You shall be welcomed as the Mistress' guest. Now, come this way please."

Brushing her right arm out, the maid turned with a couple gentle steps and began a casual stroll towards the southeastern hall. After sharing a bewildered look between each other, the two trailed a safe distance behind the maid.

Every step she took didn't make a sound, and there was no sense of energy to her movements. She was a ghost in all but appearance. Though she made no attempt at an introduction, she did have a name.

 **Sakuya Izayoi ~ Maid Bound by Time**

In spite of Sakuya's distant attitude as she carried out her duties, Shina, bless her heart, tried to strike up a conversation.

"Sooooo...you're the maid here ya? Does your Mistress keep you busy?"

Sakuya's feet kept moving at the same brisk pace. Shina blinked a couple times then looked away, taking a break to whistle as she comes up with another topic.

"Oh!" She blurted in a moment of inspiration, "I like your dress! It looks pretty on you!"

The compliment didn't take, and Shina slumped her head in disappointment. Alex looked at her and whispered, "There's no point. She's probably been ordered not to respond."

For a moment, Alex could've sworn Sakuya nodded her head. Only three seconds later did they emerge from the hall and wind up in a more wide-open space. The room was basked in a blood red luminscence thanks to the medieval style stained glass windows at the north end. The tile floor had a long, silk red carpet stretching from the southern end of the room aaaall the way to the throne, which stood atop a rectangular incline of four steps. The throne itself was lined with a golden rim and suited for comfort thanks to its fluffy seating, and was sat upon by a lone figure.

"Ah, Sakuya, wonderful! You brought our guests right to me!" The voice of a child, refined by regality and maturity, spoke up with splendid delight.

Draped in twilight, the figure stood atop the seat of their throne and spread a pair of large black bat-like wings, imprinting her vampiric presence upon her company. With a couple flaps, she floated off her perch and landed atop the carpet without a word. Having left her preferred shade of light to bow in her wake, the vampire stepped into the darkness and allowed her guests a glimpse at her magnificence.

She was a young girl even shorter than Marisa, but her presence was as overpowering as a queen's. She enjoyed wearing a light-pink dress with a red ribbon on both sleeves, with a large red ribbon tied behind her waist. Her short light-blue hair was a little messy but like everything else about her, it had to have been on purpose, and her mob cap compensated for such a minor "flaw". Even from so far away, her crimson, slitted gaze caught her guests in a trance, making them ignorant to her curious, fanged smirk.

The vampire stopped on the middle of the carpet and bridged her fingers tip-to-tip before the chest, levitating with a gentle flap of the wings to appear taller than she really was. She then looked towards her maid and inquired, "I presume they didn't put up a fight?"

"They followed your instructions to the letter, milady." Sakuya bowed with her hands crossed before the waist.

"Fufufu...but of course they did. You did well as always, Sakuya." A brief nod from her master meant the world to Sakuya, who broke her demeanor of stoicism for an appreciative chuckle.

The vampire turned her attention to her guests, who stood still and silent in wait. With her expression remaining pleasant, she drew her right hand out one finger at a time and greeted them, "You should be honored, humans. Its not every day your kind gets to see the interior of my mansion...In one piece, fufufu."

She withdrew her hand and laid the fingertips against her chest, swerving her head around while her blood bathed eyes glistened like rubies, "I am the Mistress of this mansion...The famed and feared Scarlet Devil herself. But you humans may refer to me by real name. I...am Remilia Scarlet."

 **Remilia Scarlet ~ The Prideful Midnight Mistress**

After her grandiose introduction, Remilia found her guests still were speechless. She guffawed like a child for a couple seconds and then flicked her hand into the air just to say, "Don't be shy. I won't bite...Not yet."

Alex stared at Remilia for a few seconds, and couldn't come up with a way to express how weird it was that this imposing vampire couldn't even reach his waist. Thus, he leaned his head towards Shina and whispered, "Her fangs couldn't even breech a mosquito's skin."

"Alex...!" Shina responded with a rough 'Shush!' sound through her lips and a firm glare. She then looked towards Remilia and made her offering of respect with a full-on bow.

"Its an honor to meet someone of your prestige, Lady Remilia," She then stood right back up and smiled, "My name is Shina, Shina Aurora. And the boy beside me is Alex Whiter. He's a bit shy around others."

"D-Don't start me off like that!" Alex blurted in a flustered gasp, then composed himself with a couple coughs while Remilia giggled in amusement.

"Shina Aurora and Alex Whiter..." The vampire began a miscreant's hum, "Yes...Yes...I will definitely make sure to remember these names."

Her eyes glistened for a moment and seemed to lock onto Shina's face, causing the girl to be paralyzed and her knees to shake. Remilia then inquired, "Now, surely there must be something that you require of me to have braved the journey here. Speak up as much as you want...A vampire is always listening."

"Well if you could hurry up and drag your librarian out here for a chat, that'd be _lovely_." Alex spoke up with incredible gumption, and both Shina AND Sakuya widened their eyes and faced him. Shina's mouth then drops as she looks back and forth between Remilia and Alex for a bit.

But before Shina could voice an objection, Remilia reeled her head back and let out a loud, single "Ha!"

She crossed her arms and beared her fangs, then declared to Alex, "You have the zeal of an oni! I like that!"

A breeze kicked up that brushed back Alex's hair as Remilia now floated in front of him with her face mere inches away from his. Their gazes locked but his remained firm against her ferocity, which was threatening to drill through and expose even the singlest hint of fear. This confrontation lasted ten seconds to Remilia's satisfaction, and she dropped right back to the ground a few feet away with her hands returned to their natural state before her chest.

Closing her eyes as the chuckles proved too contagious to remove, Remilia pivoted her head towards Sakuya and remarked, "Let Pache know that she has visitors Sakuya, and make it snappy!"

The veil of charisma parted to reveal the vampire's inner childness, but the respect she had garnered from the maid was far too great to be offset by her immaturity. With a humble bow, Sakuya vanished in the blink of an eye. After only ten seconds, the maid returned with a meekly person in tow.

This newcomer had sickly skin and looked like she could collapse at any moment, and that strange thing Sakuya did probably didn't help matters. The girl wore pink pajama-like clothing that covered her body down to the ankles and a night-cap with a gold crescent moon on it, which sat atop her knee length violet hair that was tied up by many ribbons. Under her right arm was a tome bigger than her head that was sealed by a golden lock and belt.

The girl's eyes sagged as she stood up and looked straight at Remilia, asking her straight up in a weak but friendly manner, "So where are the visitors, Remi?"

" _...Hrrmm..."_ Alex found something suspect about the situation so far, especially with how adjusted the librarian was, _"This is going way too smoothly."_

While Remilia was distracted whispering into the librarian's ear, Alex looked at Shina and gave her a subtle nod, hoping she'd pick up on the cue. She raised her brows and puckered her lips, then gave a nod back and made a quiet sound. The librarian then turned away from Remilia and looked at Shina with her finger raised.

"You there," She said without enthusiasm, "What did you say you needed?"

"Me?" Shina pointed at her chest.

"Fingers are usually for pointing in one direction, yes." She replied with a drab sense of humor.

"O-oh, sorry about that. R...right!" Shina clapped her hands and gave a firm nod to pump herself up.

" _Focus Shina, you just gotta handle this like ya did with Reimu and Marisa!"_

Remilia's continued focus on her left her uneasy, but she spoke up with all her usual energy, "We came to Gensokyo in search of a powerful magical object called the Cosmos Drive. Marisa said that you might have an idea where it'd be?"

"...Oh, did she?" The librarian closed her eyes and ruffled her nose, not even bothering with a sigh, "I'll make sure to have Koakuma take stock when I return."

"But for now...I, Patchouli Knowledge, shall deal with Remi's company." The librarian placed a hand on her chest and started to cough raggedly.

 **Patchouli Knowledge ~ The Archive as Slow as a Sloth**

"So you know about the Cosmos Drive?!" Shina was overflowing with ecstasy, which manifested as a sparkle in her eyes.

Patchouli struggled to contain a groan as she replied, "...There may be something in my archives. I'll allow one of you to follow me back to the library."

"Huh, just one?" Shina's voice deflated in confusion.

"And personally, seeing how one blonde person's annoyed me enough already, I choose to bring the boy with me. Come along, it'll be a long walk back." Patchouli began a slow march towards the southwestern hallway, with Alex staring past her to look at Remilia, whose mischievous mind shone through on the grin she bore.

"Hmmm..." He lowered his arms and waved his shoulders around a couple times as he passed in front of Shina.

"Watch yourself..." He whispered with a head lean before tucking his hands into the pockets and following Patchouli down the hall.

"Well then..." Remilia spoke up, carrying herself with the poise of an aristocrat as she grounded herself and approached Shina. With the smile of a cat, the vampire looked up into Shina's eyes and remarked, "The weather's fine and dandy for a cup of tea, wouldn't you say?"

"...Tea?" Shina murmured.

"Yes, tea. After all, it'd be very uncouth for the host not to treat her guests properly." Remilia stretched her right arm up, just barely able to wrap her lithe, nimble fingers around Shina's chin.

Shina felt like she was being pulled in closer to the vampire's eyes, her slitted pupils acting as a portal to many sinful temptations that the girl had rarely thought of before. As Remilia's smile widened, cold claws wrapped themselves around Shina's neck and down her chest like a collar.

"I..." Shina's skin became riddled with goosebumps, but as Remilia pulled her hand away they left in an instant. The impression of such vanity and lust in her eyes, however, would never leave her mind.

The vampire then turned to Sakuya and clapped her hands twice, "Sakuya. Prepare a table for two on the back porch. We shall arrive there shortly."

"And what brew would you prefer today, milady?"

"My usual will suffice." Remilia murmured.

"As you wish." Sakuya bowed with a smile and then was gone in an instant.

Remilia turned back to her guest, who suddenly raised her right hand to rub under her chin. A pair of the vampire's fangs protruded out as she giggled, transforming her from artistocrat to an eager child in a second, "Come! Let us race to the porch before the tea gets cold!"

She wrapped her wings around her body as she spun around and ascended, taking off towards the hall in the back in a burst of speed. The gale brushed against a flustered Shina and spread her hair back like a set of wings. She lowered her hand and was slowly removed from whatever devilish hold the vampire had on her, followed by letting out a raspy gasp.

" _W-Was that...hypnotism? Did...did she try and hypnotize me?"_ Her mind was still reeling from what she felt. It was as though for a brief moment, her desires had melded with Remilia's.

"Goodness...I really oughta be more careful, or I'll be waking up wearing a maid's costume!" With a shiver down her spine, she doubled-down on strengthening her mental fortitude and chased after the wiley vampire. Though the mansion was almost a labryinth in design, making it to the porch required little more than a couple turns through the halls to reach the backdoor.

As she laid a hand on the handle, she took a deep breath and remembered Alex's advice to be careful. Then she swung the door open with perhaps a little too much vigor, causing it to almost get broken off from the hinges. The recoil from the door forced her to let go and stumble out onto the dry wood porch, which had been shaded off from the sunlight by a roof made of glossy lilac metal.

A few feet away from the door lied a fancy porcelain table and a couple of ruby seated stools, one of which is already being 'warmed' by Remilia. With the handle for a tea cup nestled around her fingers, Remilia paused midway towards drinking it to look at her bewildered guest.

"Ah, right on time! I was worried you'd get lost," She put her cup down on its plate and patted the side of her stool as though calling a puppy, "Come! Sit and enjoy this fine tea."

Shina walked over to the stool and took a seat, surprised at how firm yet soft the cushion was for being made out of a gemstone. She looked down at her cup, which was filled with a steaming hot brew specifically crafted for her by Sakuya. The maid in question appeared out of the blue with a parasol to offer her mistress further shade, and a dish containing some biscuits with an odd smell and a slight red pus oozing from the sides.

Not wanting to be rude, Shina kept any disgust in her head and reached for the handle of her cup. Once Sakuya departed, Remilia turned her full attention towards Shina as she sipped from her tea. The tingly sensation returned yet again, but now it was calmer and more manageable.

The vampire was eager to see the girl partake in tea time with her, and her tiny legs started to kick around underneath the table as the anticipation grew too much to bear. Caution signs were going up all around Shina's mind, but none of them were strong enough to dillute her politeness. With Remilia's eyes on her, she picked the cup up and took the tiniest sip she could to enjoy the flavor the brew had to offer.

Her eyes perked up and her body began to tremble as the liquid glided down her tongue and to the back of her throat.

" _Its..."_ Only when she swallowed and lets it warmth cascade towards her stomach could she truly describe the flavor, _"Really, really bitter...! Eaugh..."_

She put the cup down right away, and with her hands propping her head Remilia tilted it aside and asked, "What's the matter? Can't handle the taste? Or...perhaps you're worried that I've bewitched your brew?"

She giggled to herself for that one.

Shina shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, but this taste isn't really my cup of tea. This sorta thing happened the last time I had tea time with a vampire, so its not your fault, honest!"

"Another vampire? So am I not your first encounter with the nocturnal..." Remilia's grin widened.

"Y-Yeah, but you're definitely nowhere near as mean as she could be at times." Shina admitted.

"All guests are to be treated properly and equally inside my mansion. All I require of them in return is to bask in all my glory!" The vampire swung her arms and wings out in an instant, but then tucked them back in when the sudden display almost knocked Shina off her perch.

"But, I think we've spoken enough about myself. Tell me a little more about yourself, Shina Aurora."

"Gosh, I dunno where to start..." Shina murmured with cold feet.

"Where you're from is never a bad starting point," As Shina started to move her lips Remilia placed one hand on the edge of the table and used it as leverage to lean in closer and whisper, "And I don't mean that as in 'I am from another part of Gensokyo' or 'I am from the Outside World'...I want to know all about the world your from that lies BEYOND even that."

"H-How do you know about that?!" Shina gasped.

"A vampire's eyes are the key to unlocking many secrets laid hidden in young maiden's hearts, Ms. Aurora. And what better allure is there than a maiden with a heart as fascinating as yours?" Remilia's eyes narrowed as she peered into the deepest recesses of Shina's soul, causing her to freeze up and take in every word of dissection the vampire spoke.

"Yes...you're beholden to wield a power the likes of which no one in Gensokyo has seen before. But not just that...Your heart is so pure it is almost like staring directly into the sun, and yet it burns, burns with a fiery passion as intense as a supernova. Its like a tantalizing that lies just out of reach. I covet it, I want it, I NEED it...But I cannot have it." Remilia's lips grew moist the further she spoke, and she began to levitate off her stool and hover closer to Shina.

Once more embracing her chin with her hand, the vampire held Shina in an unbreakable trance as she whispered like a needy child, "And that just makes me want you _more_."

Slowly lowering Shina's head, Remilia's eyes glistened as her smile bridged the gap between her cheeks and stayed relaxed, "So...what do you say? How would you like to become one of my servants?"

"Serve...you?" Shina's eyes hollowed out as her responses became robotic.

"Tell me Shina. Do you believe in...fate?" Remilia twisted her lips into a cheshire's grin as she laid atop the empty air and crossed her arms under her chin.

"Yes, that wonderful, invisible force that guides us to predestined locations at its whims. And out of all the people in this small, feeble world, I was the one blessed with the power to manipulate it."

The vampire paddled her feet against the air as Shina began to drift into an unconscious state of mind, forced to listen as her host droned on, "And thus, there can be not even be a shadow of a doubt. You were called here by my own hand, to serve at my side..."

"So...I shall ask again. How would _you_ like to become one of _my_...servants?" Remilia tilted her head gently to the right and went silent to give Shina room to breath.

Shina could feel her consciousness slipping into a dark, silent void. But it wasn't a hopeless void. There was one glimmer of light that could pull her out of it, one easily accessible at all times. With memories of her family as the tether, Shina climbed her way out and widened her eyes with a gasp. Then she shook her head and quickly stammered, "I-I can't be your servant Remilia!"

"...Oh?" Remilia turned her head to the opposite side as Shina caught her breath and laid a hand on her heaving chest.

Once composed, she laid her hands together and gave the vampire an expression of genuine apologeticness, "I'm sure it'd be a lotta fun workin' for a vampire, but its impossible for me."

"...Because of that 'Cosmos Drive'? Why is a little thing like that so important to you?"

"I need it to save my people from a tyrant. My mom, my friends, my little sister...They're all counting on me to make it back alive."

Remilia's brows nudge up a little bit, and her charismatic self seemed to weaken. She turned her body around and laid upside-down with arms and legs sprawled out. Her jaw slacked like a child pretending to be annoyed, and she murmured her grievances with just a couple words, "How bothersome..."

"I've appreciated the hospitality Remilia, but I think I oughta go help Alex search for the Cosmos Drive now." Shina started to stand up when the vampire's hand wrapped tightly around her wrist and tugged her back down.

"Now who said I was done with you?" Her tone became a little bratty with excitement as she spun back around and stood up, glaring into Shina's face with blood red glistening eyes.

Remilia stood atop the table and bore her fangs in a wide smirk, with Shina offering little in the way of resistance beyond some pained mumbling.

"Now that I've seen that hardened spirit of yours in action I can't possibly let you slide away!"

"Well...you can't just force me to be your servant ya know!" Shina tugged on her arm and broke free with little effort. Remilia flapped her wings and levitated off the table to further lord her majesty over her company.

"Fufufu, I'm well-aware of that. But since you've acquainted yourself with that ordinary magician, I can presume you've met with the shrine maiden, and thus know all there is to know about Spell Card Duels," The vampire grinned from cheek to cheek and remarked, "So if words alone won't convince you, then I shall simply dazzle you with a baneful dance of twilight until you have no choice but to accept my magnificence!"

"A-A Spell Card Duel?" Shina was taken aback by the vampire's straightforwardness, and found her response glued to the back of her tongue.

"But I shall not be cruel. Though my victory shall serve as a binding contract, I will at least allow you to finish your business with this so-called Cosmos Drive before you return to my side as my eternal servant," Remilia's eyelids closed until they were narrow slits, their glistening crimson still peeking through with all their dominating power, "And on the very, very slim possibility you manage to defeat me...I shall divulge upon you a secret that no one else in this world knows. One that **you** may find intriguing."

Shina crossed her eyes and yelled out with a fiery passion, "I'm not afraid of you Remilia! If you want a Spell Card Duel then bring it on!"

"Wonderful! Splendid!" Remilia swung her head back and kicked up a gale with the spread of her wings. She then twisted her gaze towards the skies, which had become covered in clouds. With a gentle chuckle she lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"Pache, the weather's perfect. You always go above and beyond for us..."

Creeping onto the scene like a newly awakened zombie, Patchouli nodded her head towards her friend and reciprocated her praise, "You may go wild to your heart's content, Remi."

"Huh?!" Shina gasped while staring blankly towards the librarian, who was all by herself, "Hey! Where'd Alex-"

"Come Shina! Let us shower Gensokyo with a wonderful display of Danmaku!" Remilia's eagerness got the better of her and she launched right towards the sky, tipping the table over. Sakuya appeared in the nick of time and caught the tea before even a drop stained the ground, using her foot to support the rim of the table. She then glanced over at Shina and had a mischievous look in her eye.

"I'll be sure to find you a fitting maid's outfit, newcomer." Her overwhelming certainty in her master's victory ignited the fire in Shina's heart. Clenching her fist against the chest, she turned to face the vampire looming overhead and flew off after her.

Hundreds of feet away from the mansion, Remilia spread her wings and embraced the nippy winds without flinching. Grinning across her entire face, the vampire stared at the girl as she floated twenty feet with her arms crossed and her cold heart racing in delight.

"I look forward to seeing what kind of Danmaku an outsider like you has to offer!" Remilia swung her right hand out and flashed her slender bloody fingernails as an invitation to combat, "Now come! Let us dance the day away!"

 _Next Time: Resonance of Fate_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Chained by Fate**

As the whims of the Scarlet Devil were currently being satisfied by Shina, many of the residents, including fairy maids and grotesque hobgoblins, crowded the porch around Sakuya and Patchouli to observe their master at work.

"The clouds are very well-made, Lady Patchouli." Sakuya spoke up pleasantly as the bustling sound of her co-workers surrounded her.

"It was a simple matter of condensing vapor into a cumulonimbus form." She replied with a sentence more wordy than necessary. Yet, it was that level of detail of hers that continued to hold Sakuya's attention.

"Just don't push yourself too hard. Here," Sakuya whisked out a dish and a fresh cup of tea out like a magician doing the same to a rabbit from a hat, "I made a fresh batch, just to your liking."

Patchouli took the cup without looking away from her friend, and had a quick sip before giving thanks, "You picked the leaves from the Forest of Magic?"

A tiny smile showed up for a brief moment as she placed the cup back onto the dish and lowered it to her waist, "Excellent, I feel replenished already."

Her voice remained stoic, even while expressing the utmost sincere appreciation.

Some louder hustle soon came from the crowd, as Meiling was trudging her way towards the front of the crowd. She was in a panic, and limply accosted Sakuya by her shoulders the moment she broke through.

"Sakuya! Patchouli! The chi of the skies have been disrupted! The Lord of Thunder Feng Lung has come to exact vengeance upon those who have defiled the heavens!"

Though Meiling's eyes were as wide as quarters, Sakuya glanced over the shoulder with a smile and said, "Ah, glad you could join us. Relax, enjoy a cup of tea."

She pulled out another cup from thin air and held it over the shoulder without spilling a drop. Meiling blinked a few times then backed away with the cup in hand, downing the whole thing while it was piping hot.

"Oooooh, oolong tea." Meiling face turned pinkish red as she rubbed the side of her face and melted into bliss from this tongue-tingling delight. But then she snapped back into a state of panic and rushed between the two, swinging her arms out.

"Come on this is urgent! Where's the Mistress?!"

Patchouli closed her eyes and leaned her head back to sigh, "For a gatekeeper, your vision is shockingly narrow."

After that snide remark to bewilder her co-worker, Patchouli raised her puffy right sleeve up as slow as molasses towards the sky. Meiling turned and was able to ascertain Remilia's location in an instant.

"What's she doing up there?" She put a hand over her forehead and squinted, "And...isn't that Shina?"

"The guest **you** let in is facing her in a Spell Card duel." Patchouli replied.

"This is good," Sakuya commented a serene and gentle happiness, "Milady hasn't gotten to stretch her wings for a while now. This ought to alleviate her boredom for a couple days."

"Can Shina even use Danmaku? Id've sworn that boy would've faced Remilia," Meiling's eyes popped wide and she started to glance around the porch, "Say, where IS he?"

Patchouli brushed her arm out to swiftly sweep the matter under the rug, "Don't worry about it, just enjoy the show."

High above, Remilia kept her posture of aggression going for a full minute before shifting just her eyebrow as a way of saying 'Huh?' Shina was loitering around with a hand clenched before her chest and her eyes narrow. She LOOKED ready to fight, but nothing about her stance screamed of the fire and passion that had held the vampire's intrigue so easily before.

"Don't tell me you've gotten cold feet..." Remilia grumbled, only to take a more prideful approach to her foe's state of mind, "Or perhaps you've become bewildered by my full vampiric charm, fufufu."

"Not...not at all!" Shina stammered, not exactly making a convincing argument there. She then curled her fingers just below her lower lip and chuckled, "It's just...I'm embarrassed to admit it but..."

"Spill it, I don't have all day." Remilia remarked with her arms lightly crossed.

"I...don't have any Spell Cards." Shina's whisper still reached the vampire's acute ears, and her response was little more than a baffled raise of the brow.

"That's it? Seriously?" She slacked her jaw and ruffled her head, losing the vigor she had built up before.

"Look, do you know what Danmaku is?"

"Of course! Marisa showed me!" Shina proudly proclaimed.

"They're just bullets. If you can fly, you can make bullets. Its _that_ easy." Remilia smirked.

Shina tilted her head with a small and confused frown and thought, _"I...don't think those are even tangentially related."_

She then looked up and asked, "But I thought you needed spell cards to have a spell card duel?"

"It gives you more of an advantage, but that's it. The shrine maiden always gets by with just Danmaku," Remilia closed her eyes and smiled, "Though perhaps that has more to do with her curiously powerful natural talent."

"Alright...Alright! I got it!" Shina, having ignored basically everything Remilia just said, pounded her open palm with a fist while a light bulb went off in her head. Then, she swung her body to the left and thrust the right wrist, which wore a bracelet with two stones attached, right up against the center of her chest.

"Now don'tcha blink Remilia! You'll be the first person in all of Gensokyo to see this!" She crossed her other arm up, using the boney bump on her wrist to hit the stone with the two guns crossed on it.

Remilia glued her eyes wide open and leaned out as a crystalline light sparked out from Shina's body for a few brief seconds. As it faded out twice as fast, Shina had gained a new appearance and a slight increase in power. Her hair was now lighter and silver-ish while her eyes glowed brighter like shined aquamarines. Her legs up to the knees were covered in slender blue military boots, while the rest were protected by silver stockings. Her main outfit consisted of a white and green striped skirt and a sapphire sleeveless shirt with rivets going vertically around it, and a few inches cut off for the midriff. Finally, there were her fingerless black gloves, each of them holding a pistol of see-through bluish aura.

Peering through the backs of her guns as they were crossed before the face, Shina faced down the vampire with a heat that could eclipse the sun and swung her arms out.

"If Reimu can do it, then so can I!" She exclaimed with a vibrant vigor.

Remilia's body tingled from head-to-toe like the nocturnal cold, and her chuckles started outside her control, "Fufufu...You're just full of surprises aren't ya! But that just means that I made the right call!"

She thrust her wings out as far as the membranes would allow, being whipper into a frenzy so great that not even a skate through the heart would be able to calm her now.

"I can't wait any longer! You must be made mine forever!" Remilia swung her right hand up and summoned a blood red Spell Card at the edge of the palm, its glow reflecting and magnifying the terrifying, greedy gaze in her eyes.

"This shall be a two-card duel. Squirm as long as you can, for Remilia Scarlet now begins her hunt!" She sliced through the spell card with a clean swipe that scarred the air in a luminscent violet, all while declaring her first attack's name with pride, "Fall of Night 'The Beginning of the Harvest'!"

The familiar sound of activation rings out as far as the onlookers can hear, and Remilia started to be enveloped in a foggy blood red aura. From a mythical glyph behind her, six rows of six body sized crystallic violet spheres flew out and walled Shina in on both sides. Shina's heart pounded against her chest quietly at first as her eyes stirred around at her surroundings.

" _Ok, ok...This is pretty simple so far."_ Her attempts to hype herself up were instantly cast down to hell by Remilia, who flooded Shina's vision with dozens upon dozens of head-sized red-white orbs between her walls of Danmaku.

" _Crap crap!"_ Her eyes widened and she made a hasty retreat as the Danmaku sprawled about in various random directions trying to peg their target. A couple of the bullets nicked Shina's limbs as she swung her arms out, mimicking what she'd imagine a vampire's nibbling would feel like. With a wince of the eyes she tugged onto the triggers of her pistols and fired many bullets of aura in a constant stream towards the vampire.

Remilia smiled and held her arms out as the raw power of her Danmaku made her dress flutter as though grazed by a haunting breeze. She took the bullets head-on like a thick steel wall would a speeding car and launched a second wave of the tinier bullets the moment the first wave vanished.

Shina could only back off so far before her aim would start to waver, but with a distance of a hundred feet between her and the vampire she was able to exploit the larger gaps between the bullets to evade them with swift, simple movements. She twirled both pistols around in the hands and bit down on her lower lip as she clasped them between her fingers once more.

" _I need a better rate of fire than this..."_ Her mind was racing far too fast, and the brain would soon drift right out of her skull if she didn't apply the brakes and better plan her attack.

Twirling to the left to evade a particularly nasty, condensed barrage of Danmaku, Shina thrust her arms straight out and replaced the pistols with SMGs while still holding down the triggers. Her fingers grew sore in only a couple seconds as she fought against the gun's recoil and bombarded Remilia with her power.

The lack of a reaction beyond the dozens of 'twangs' signifying an impact left Shina in a state of concern as to how much energy was being drained from Remilia's Spell Card. The vampire remained steadfast in her confidence, and as the second wave of Danmaku finished its duty her smirk began to rise.

" _I knew it...this card's still got some tricks up its sleeve!"_ Shina stopped in the center of the two walls of spheres, which had begun to move after an extended period of silence. The Danmaku pushed forward and, at the same time, swung towards each other. As they neared the center, Shina flipped back and was enveloped by the light the bullets cast as she passed between him.

Her body spun around, and she began to worry about stuff as minute as her nose and kneecaps touching the bullets. To her, these beautiful spheres were now as deadly as poison ivy. It wasn't a good omen that her heart felt ready to burst from the chest by the time she slipped through the Danmaku unharmed, and not even thirty seconds had passed.

Stalling herself in the dead center of the battlefield, Shina caught her breath and felt her arms sweating. But Remilia had more than enough tricks up her sleeve to exploit the girl's poor naivety in Danmaku, and the full extent of her spell card's pattern had yet to blossom.

With only a couple hasty breaths to her name, Shina widened her eyes and looked around. She was surrounded by dozens of those tiny red-white bullets, which had been called forth by the larger orbs as they made their pass.

Gasping mid-breath, Shina retreated as the Danmaku collapsed upon her, but not without taking her weapons and firing pot shots at Remilia while she could. But as she halted her retreat ten feet away, a ghastly, bat-like shriek penetrated her ears and wailed within her soul. A second later, a swarm of dark red, ethereal bat-shaped Danmaku flew away from her stomach and over to Remilia.

As the vampire absorbed the bullets into her body she sent out another spray of red-white orbs from her glyph and gazed upon the steadily withering Shina, whose head began to droop as she fired aimless shots, only few of which hit.

"Don't tell me you're tired already! Come on, fight like your life depended on it!" Remilia's endurance and vigor were endless, no doubt a blessing of her vampiric heritage. And yet, Shina believed there was more to it than that.

" _She's not just a vampire, she's one of the elite veterans of Gensokyo. Its not that my bullets ain't doing diddly-squat, she's just not gonna show weakness to a newbie!"_ Shina pulled back on her arms to graze some of the bullets that flew her way. The first wave in this rotation was at an end, and the second was heralded by the unnerving sound of thunder clapping from the clouds.

" _I gotta step up my act fast, or I'm gonna be stuffing biscuits full of human flesh for the rest of my life!"_ Shina pulled away from the onslaught of bullets as they flew about, a few of them nicking against the sides of her legs as she took her guns and fired upon Remilia.

" _There's gotta be something I can do to get an advantage...Think Shina! Think!"_ Closing her eyes up tight like windows shutters, she caught the glimpse of something curious with her ability to see aura. The bullets all radiated with a faint trace of Remilia's own aura. It was so faint, in fact, that it registered just as much as a mouse's presence. But that little observation was more than enough to snap Shina's attention to an important revelation.

" _Of course! Duh! I'm tryin' too hard to see with my eyes when I SHOULD be seeing with my aura..."_ Shina bopped the side of her head with the barrel of one of her guns, which caught Remilia's attention with resounding curiosity welling up on her face.

The walls of Danmaku began to cross paths for the second time, but this time Shina squinted her eyes and paid super close attention to how they moved.

" _Concentrate, concentrate, CON-CEN-TRATE!"_ She pumped her mind up with words, while the adrenaline in her body did the rest of the work. As the bullets were inches away from intercepting she sprung to action and flipped her body out vertically, spinning in place at the right position between the rows to slip on by.

But as she was suspended between the narrow gap with breath held to pull in the chest, she applied some aura to her bootsand assaulted Remilia with a spray of bullets from the heels. The vampire grimaced in a 'blink and you'd miss it' moment but restored her bountiful charisma by the time the Danmaku had gone its course.

Shina landed back in a similar position to before, but this time pumped her fist before the chest and figuratively patted herself on the back, _"Nice! Nice! That's the ticket!"_

Then the bombardment of Danmaku the larger orbs left behind started to swarm her way, and she widened her eyes and reprimanded herself in a haste, _"D'oh! That's right!"_

She applied shotgun heels to her boots and kicked back with a sharp burst of speed, managing only to nick five or so Danmaku in the process. The rest converged and disappeared, leaving Shina mere moments to figure out the final trick to this Spell Card.

Her heart was racing, but this time the reasons were positive. She was getting excited, and the sweat glossing her smooth skin was a manifestation of hard-work and pure determination. Her breaths were stablizing, but she was grinning like a lunatic.

" _No! Don't get too excited, it ain't anywhere close to over yet!"_ She couldn't stop grinning, but at least had enough self-restraint to close her eyes and start concentrating on Remilia's Danmaku.

" _There's still those bats...Now where didja come from little batties?"_

There was a subtle set of ripples coming from behind her, as though a bubble had just burst. Then, the flaps of tiny wings pushed aside the air as they zipped straight towards Shina's back. She smirked and breathed in deep through the nostrils. Her body thinned as she held it as long as her lungs could hold, and with movements becoming as loose and versatile as a snake's she twirled to the right and grazed past the swarm of bats that attempted an ambush.

Remilia absorbed that Danmaku back into her and grinned as she fired off another barrage of red-white orbs, all while proclaiming in delight, "That's more like it! But it'll take more than ballerina twirls to mistify the great Remilia Scarlet!"

Shina whipped her weapons out and started firing with a clear and precise focus. All her bullets struck Remilia dead-on while she continued to move around the Danmaku strewn about. Thus, the first wave of this rotation passed on by with only a couple of the tiny orbs nicking her body.

" _Ok, I'm starting to get the hang of this..."_ Shina could feel the pressure in her muscles lightening up, but that combined with the Danmaku she's gotten hit with so far has started to wear her down. She gulped a little and remained focus. Losing concentration for even a second would lead to her being flooded by Danmaku.

" _Time to kick this up a notch!"_ The barrels of her guns lengthened until they could stretch from her shoulder to the elbow, and a scope formed atop the other part of the weapons. As the second wave reached its end, she swung one rifle up and pulled on the trigger. A sharp, speeding bullet rammed into Remilia faster than she could blink, pushing her body back an inch.

"What the hell..." Remilia murmured while biting her fangs down, only to be struck by a second bullet from Shina's other rifle. At that point, a single sweatdrop flew off the side of her forehead and touched the edge of the right wing.

The walls of Danmaku stirred to life again, and Shina discarded her rifles to glue both arms to her hips. She then leapt up and spun between the large bullets, spraying bullets through her feet in a condensed funnel shape. After a hundred or so bullets managed to strike Remilia, something peculiar occurred.

All the Danmaku she had mustered up shattered with a resounding blast, along with the glyph floating behind her. She levitated solemnly in the air, spurned further away from her foe by the recoil of her Spell Card's defeat. Shina landed far away in front of her and gasped, rubbing her eyes as though assuming this was a dream.

"I...I did it?!" She hopped and swung her arms into the air. Her heart raced but her body felt warm and fluffy with the joy of victory. Remilia froze up, letting only the gentle flutter of her wings keep her afloat, while her face left doubts as to whether she was surprised, happy, or upset.

Down with the peanut gallery, Meiling widened her eyes in a manner similar to Shina and remarked, "The Mistress actually lost a spell card to her? That's crazy! Just who is this girl?!"

"Calm down," Patchouli said unperturbed, "Our visitor is just lucky that Remi hasn't faced anyone in a Spell Card duel for a while now."

"But now that the rust's been shaken off, milady will surely secure a decisive, overwhelming victory." Sakuya noted with exuding confidence and a well-hidden smile.

"Excuses excuses...She ain't rusty, my star pupil is just that good!"

Patchouli, Sakuya, and then Meiling turned to the left and saw Marisa standing around like she'd been there the whole time. A hefty looking bag with plenty of corners protruding out was hoisted over her right shoulder. While Patchouli glared at her hot enough to melt diamonds, Marisa flashed her a wave and smile before saying, "Howdy!"

"...I sincerely doubt that girl could learn anything from you besides delinquency," Patchouli brushed her cap up while raising and opening a spell book with the other hand, "No...This girl has more to her than meets the eye."

A blood red seal starts to form below Patchouli's feet, as she casually murmurs a complex paragraph long incantation all to herself. When she is done, the seal flashed light up from around the rim and then vanished in an instant, while the librarian sealed her book with a slam and held it adjacent to the shoulder.

"But...as usual, Remi predicted that this would happen. Now comes the true test of this stranger's capabilities."

Up in the sky, Shina waved her hand around and called out to Remilia with plenty of concern, "Heeellooo? You alright Remilia?"

"Fufufu..." The vampire's lips began to crease into a smile as she bridged her fingers before the chest, "Tell me Shina...How much do you know about vampires?"

"Huh? Isn't this an odd time to be throwin' out a pop quiz?" She responded with a fluttering of the eyelids.

"Just answer my question please." Remilia demanded with a soft but somewhat impatient tone of voice.

"Well...I know you guys hate sunlight, garlic and wooden stakes. You suck people dry for blood and love to sleep in coffins...Oh, and there's a rare breed of ya that sparkle a lot!"

"...I'll...pretend I didn't hear that last one," Remilia's whole body squirmed with an abnormal sensation of fear for a few moments before she could compose herself all prim and proper, "But yes, you do understand the basics of vampirism."

"However!" Remilia erupted with pride, "There is one thing about vampires that very few people know. From the day we first bear our fangs from the womb to the moment our bodies wither to dust, our perception of time is warped beyond comprehension. The fleeting days of youth become a blissful, eternal avalon, seasons pass in the blink of an eye, and what was once embraced as the dawn is now feared like the dusk."

"But when the full moon rises and shines its pearly rays through the chilling twilight, both humans and vampires alike are unified in their perceptions of time. The humans cower in their humble abodes, and the vampires prowl the night in search of satiation for their curiosity. Blood, flesh or soul...A vampire holds absolute dominion over all in the night!" Remilia swings her head back and stretched her claws out as the clouds surrounding her began to part.

Shina widened her eyes and swung her right arm out to exclaim, "Remilia! The sun's about to come out!"

"Your dawn shall naught be your savior." The clouds cracked apart and thin rays of crimson light came gushing through for Remilia to bask in all their glory. As the clouds all dissolved into a misty vapor behind her, Remilia's eyes shone bright as her body became enveloped briefly in shadows.

A blood-red moon laid behind her, its power enveloping the skies above the mansion and turning them a grizzly shade of scarlet. The blast that signaled the summoning of a spell card rang out, this time with a graver sounding echo.

The winds howled around Remilia as she crossed her arms and spread her wings far and wide, her body becoming one with the reflection of the scarlet moon. Chuckling haughtily to herself, the vampire proclaimed to her shocked opponent, "Don't get cocky child, for the hunt has just begun!"

The daughter of the night then leaned out and uttered the two words that would remind Shina forevermore how serious Spell Card duels can get.

" _ **LAST WORD..."**_

Throwing her arms to the air without a care, Remilia decreed with all her authority, "Immortalization of the Scarlet Night 'Vampire's Dominion'!"

The moon itself launched a flurry of bat-shaped Danmaku that zigzagged past Remilia, all while covering the skies with the familiar red-white bullets in their wake. Shina flew to the center of the bat's flight paths and waited to see what trickery would come next. Six of the bats stopped neatly aligned in a row with Shina in the middle and began firing a large rotating scarlet laser and whipped around so hard they began to curve.

Shina had just a second to escape, and flew higher up while bending her legs closer to the waist. The lasers grazed the heel of her shoes and vanished alongside the bats after they made a full rotation. Meanwhile, the bullets they left behind scattered to the four winds, many of them pelting Shina along the way.

She flipped back and called upon her rifles again. She landed directly in front of Remilia and pulled the trigger, but as the bullet sprung forth from the barrel the vampire zipped twenty feet to the right in an instant. Her body looked the same as before, showing a lack of exertion on her part.

Shina paused and blinked while the vampire threw her right arm over the opposing shoulder and exclaimed, "You're five-hundred years too early to keep up with me, Shina!"

She clawed the air with the back of her fingernails and sent out a couple spirals of red-white diamonds in an ever-growing circle. The Danmaku was fast, but as it got bigger in circumference the space between each bullets grew large enough for Shina to slip between.

But then another swarm of bats came flying from the moon, complicating matters. Had Shina decided to press forward to evade the diamonds, she'd run into some of the orbs. So instead she sacrificed a couple hits to the gut via the diamonds in order to take aim and fire another shot at Remilia. Her trigger finger pulled as quick as a wink, but the vampire swung her head aside and lost only a couple hairs to her name.

" _Shoot...!"_ Shina grimaced and swung the weapon down before retreating to the right. The bats lined up next to her and started scathing the skies with their laser beams, forcing her to lower.

Remilia flew to the left and swiped her claw out to send out another barrage of diamonds while the moon did its thing. Something clicked within Shina's mind as the vampire participated in the spell card, and with her arms feeling as light as feathers she swung one rifle up and fired at Remilia's chest.

The bullet struck her right as the Danmaku fired off, and Remilia noticeably grimaced in surprise. Shina raised her brows and registered the event as curious, but had to focus more on evading the Danmaku that still came her way.

This time around there was enough of a gap between both waves for her to zip straight through, edging her closer to the vampire's location. Remilia peered down from the corner of her eyes while Shina squinted and pointed her rifle upward. Another shot was fired, and Remilia tucked her wings in to avoid it.

" _Why ain't she movin' like she did the first time?"_ There wasn't a chance to spare even the tiniest second of thought in this heated ballet of bullets, and Shina's punishment for thinking otherwise was for one of the bats to ram into the side of her body.

Though that caused the bullet to vanish and make an incomplete trail, her body became a lot more tired, as if a one-ton boulder had rammed her in the face. Her vision blurred for a second before she shook her head and flew back, escaping the menagerie of Danmaku that'd become threatening in a bit.

" _Geez louise, Danmaku hurts! A few more hits like that and I'll plummet like an anchor!"_

After reaching the back of the line where the bats had ended up, Shina ducked her head to avoid the lasers they fired and dispelled her rifles. Remilia was about to make her next move, and after enduring the Last Word for this long Shina had finally concocted something resembling a plan.

" _She's only 'dodging' from left to right because it's a part of her Spell Card. She has to wait things out otherwise!"_ With a firm nod of the head she clasped her hands together with enough of a gap between them to hold the handle of the weapon she was creating.

This weapon held some resemblance to a megaphone but the edge of the front glowed bright. Shina held down the pressure plate on the handle and began firing off a stream of halos towards Remilia. In response, the vampire bit her teeth down and endured the onslaught while she fired off the diamonds, which forced Shina to move away and lower her weapon.

"Tsk...! You've got a lot more versatility than I was expecting! But that won't be enough to save you!" As she remained absolutely certain in her triumph even now, Remilia watched as her Danmaku scraped against Shina's body and forced her still to catch her breath.

" _She ain't wrong..."_ The blurring of her vision lasted a couple seconds this time, but with a solid gulp she slanted her brows down and held her weapon up to take a few shots at Remilia while she's still.

" _But ya can't keep that facade up forever Remilia! I'll wear you down first!"_

As another swarm of bats emerged Shina lowered her gun and focused more on evading. She flew over to the center of the bats by tucking her stomach in to avoid the bullets left behind. Not even given a chance to gasp that air out, she curled forward and "rolled" along the air to scrape underneath the lasers.

However, her particular height lengthened the roll a little too much, pushing her into a few lingering wisps of Danmaku before they started to move around. Not just that, but when Remilia made her move there was less of a gap between the diamonds for her to slip between. Had she not thrown her arms up and twirled back to get some distance, a dozen of the diamonds would have scraped her body.

Instead, only a couple managed to graze her body, and she was in a prime position to begin launching more halos towards Remilia. The lack of any signs of weakness in the vampire was starting to get bothersome, but she kept pressing on as though her body was fresh and full of youthly vigor.

" _I gotta get some room to breathe..."_ She noted while squirming to evade the tightly spread barrage of Danmaku, especially as more bats came to deliver their payload.

" _Wait...Duh! Marisa literally rammed that lesson into my head..."_ Widening her eyes and feeling like an absolutel dingus, Shina pulled away from the bats and pointed her weapon down, creating a plate of aura extending out from the toes. Taking in a deep breath, she created and pulled the trigger of a rocket launcher right as the bats held still.

A bright and powerful explosion wiped out all the Danmaku within a twenty foot radius, leaving just a thin line of bullets near Remilia. The vampire grit her teeth and zipped to the left, having a nasty scowl as her own spell card left her a slave to a now vulnerable course of attack.

Shina shot forth through the thin cloud of smoke and still grasped the rocket launcher tightly. Remilia swung her claw over the shoulder and felt her hand tingling. Gnashing her fangs together as her eyes widened in a frenzy, Remilia began to swing while Shina thrust the barrel of the rocket launcher right up to Remilia's face and closed her eyes.

Both sides launched their attacks at the same time in an all-or-nothing gambit to secure victory. However, Shina's rocket exploded point blank and consumed them both in smoke, obscuring the results from the onlookers down below.

Everyone at the mansion went silent and widened their eyes, even Patchouli. A couple seconds later, the visage of the scarlet moon began to crumble like a stained glass window, and two rings of scarlet light dispersed like mist from the smoke.

The moment a pair of specks plummeted from the smoke, Sakuya widened her eyes and reached for her pocket. She vanished from sight and reappeared in midair with a silky white parasol with a lilac croqueted rim, snagging Remilia in her arms and giving her the protection of the parasol's shade as the sun shone through once more.

Shina, whose eyes were barely open, was caught by Meiling in a single bound. The gatekeeper smirked and didn't say a word as she and Sakuya carried the weary battlers back down to the porch. The fairies and hobgoblins then quickly scattered back into the mansion.

Marisa laid her hands against the back of her head and let out a haughty laugh towards Patchouli, "Hot damn! What was that about me being a bad teacher? Not even an hour after learning about Danmaku and my star pupil's laid your mistress out like a dirty carpet!"

"Don't be ridiculous. It is obvious that Remi is victor." Patchouli scoffed and turned her head away from the naughty little witch.

"That little prop you made for her broke easier than yer windows. Obviously my pupil won!" Marisa might as well have been sticking her head up with a nose as long as a tree branch at that point.

"The Spell Card served its purpose, obviously the magic would be dispelled at that point." Patchouli said with stern confidence.

"Hey! Quit arguing you two." Remilia spoke up with slight indignation in her tone. After giving her thanks to Sakuya, who reciprocated with a gentle bow, the vampire hopped off her arms and crossed her own against the chest, with only her dress looking a bit tattered.

"Hrrrmmm..." Her gaze was cross and narrowed in on Shina, who was still cradled in Meiling's arms and breathing slowly to regain her energy. Remilia's emotions were an enigma to all around her as she floated up and looked down at Shina.

The girl perched her head up and looked into the vampire's eyes, then started to wiggle her arms and legs around. Grinning with a slight wince in her eyes, she commented in a jolly voice, "Danmaku's really tiring. My body's gonna be stiff for weeks..."

"Good grief..." Remilia sounded disappointment, but not in Shina. Shaking her head, the vampire smirked and reassured her, "Your body just isn't used to it. As long as you don't push yourself, you'll recover quickly."

Sure enough, the fuzziness in her nerves subsided in a matter of seconds, and she was able to swing right out of Meiling's arms. Though her landing WAS a little rocky.

Shina looked up and was surprised to find Marisa standing right in front of her. The witch waved her hand and said, "Nicely done rookie! You sure showed that vampire who's boss!"

"Marisa...? What are you doing here?!" As Shina's gaze started to gravitate towards the bag of stolen books, Marisa nudged her body in front of it and said in a normal haste, "Not important! Come on, you should be celebrating your victory!"

Blinking twice and facing Remilia, Shina inquired, "Did...did I win? I kinda blanked out at the end there."

Remilia crossed her arms and lowered her head with a subtle murmur. As the gentle flapping of her wings kept her afloat, she murmured out a surprising response, "Seeing how no one here can confirm who won, I believe its safe to say that this is a draw."

"A...draw?" Shina's eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"Yes. So alas, it seems it is not your fate to serve under me...yet!" Remilia's eyes awoke with the same powerful charisma she usually had as she proclaimed, "But I haven't given up! Someday, somehow, you shall come to know the joy of serving under the Scarlet Devil!"

"Hehehe...I'm sure it would've been fun." Shina closed her eyes and placed some fingers up by the chin, then giggled some more.

"Though our duel ended the way it did, I...suppose I can reward you with that secret I had for providing me with some moderate entertainment."

"Oh! I-I honestly forgot all about that!" Shina gave the vampire a serious look and held her arms before the waist.

"Actually, I just reaaaaaally want to know what happened to Alex-"

As though sensitive to the mere mention of the boy's name, part of the wall at the bottom of the mansion exploded loudly behind them. Shina twisted her body around while the others faced it with widened eyes.

"That came from the basement!" Meiling exclaimed in a panic.

" _The basement? O-Oh no, that could only mean...!"_ Shina quickly grew worried as the smoke seeped through the hole, and a slightly insane child-like giggle followed...

 _Next Time: The Lost Child_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Little Sister of the Devil**

 _Some minutes earlier..._

After being separated from Shina, Alex kept a lax attitude about him as he followed Patchouli through the mansion's halls. She wasn't the talkative kind of person, but frankly even if she was that constant cloud of gloom over her head would've deterred him from saying anything back.

Before returning to the foyer, they made a right turn to another hall tucked away in the shadows, then kept going for a hundred feet before making another right turn. This took them to a hallway made of fancy glass that was behind the stained glass window in the throne room.

Alex tilted his head up and raised a brow, then looked back at Patchouli and continued walking. At the end of the hall she started to cough, the hoarseness in her voice making Alex think that her lungs were being assaulted by sandpaper. But right away she whipped out a vial of sorts and downed one of the pills inside. The coughing became a thing of the past, and she kept a move on without saying a word about it.

She seemed to have gained some pep in her step to boot. Instead of dragging her feet through the mud with cannonballs tied to the ankles, she was walking...like a regular, normal person. Thus, it took only a few seconds less than expected for them to round a couple more corners and end up in front of a staircase leading downwards.

"Here we are. Try not to damage anything." Patchouli poked her head back and made little effort to sound detached, then began to descend the stairs.

Alex tucked his hands into the pockets, squinted, and then slogged his way down just a couple steps behind her. Quickl getting the rhythm for the stairs down pat helped deal with how dark the corridor down was. Patchouli's lack of stumbling would make sense considering the familiarity she'd have with this area...If this was the way to her library, Alex thought.

It didn't take long for the boy to let out a sigh and tear down the masquerade in a gruff spoken single sentence, "I really hope you weren't expecting me to fall for this piss-poor excuse for a 'trap'."

Patchouli paused right on the spot before the stairs turned right and then gleamed over her shoulder with her eyelids sagging. Alex perked his head back and glared her down while saying, "You probably wouldn't even catch a rat like this."

"And yet...Here you are." The librarian snarked with an air of superiority surrounding her. She then continued her descent while prodding Alex with a simple question, "Why IS that?"

"Because I'm curious to see what exactly Remilia's planning here."

"Hmph...Where do you get off speaking like you're one of Remi's acquaintances?" Patchouli's response was just a teensy bit bitter.

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm just experienced in dealing with the childish whims of haughty little vampires."

Patchouli dug her feet into the carpet steps and twisted back, her clothes caught in a twirl as she intensely forced Alex's smugness back into his head with just her glare and said, "If you truly understood the complexity of Remi's plans, then you wouldn't even be here."

Her brows crunched down and wrinkled her forehead, making her look like a lioness defending her cubs. Alex's right hand started to shake until he clutched his fingers together, while his lips struggled to keep a smile. Patchouli's quiet fury deflated without a word as she turned back and continued walking. It took a couple seconds for Alex to kick up the pace, except now he was grinning quite a bit.

" _Alright then Ms. Scarlet Devil...Lets see what you and your merry band of goons have in store for us."_ He decided to keep his mouth shut and play along for now, since he had every reason not to fear this place.

" _I just hope Shina'll be alright by herself."_ Was the only thought that distracted him otherwise.

After a few more steps the two had finally reached the basement of the mansion. With Patchouli's obvious bait uncovered, Alex wasn't the least bit curious about the lack of books or anything else you'd see in a library. Instead, he zeroed in on the room's atmosphere.

It was a little darker in here than throughout the rest of the mansion. Gloomy, forboding, lonely, those were just a few of the words he could use to describe the place. It was the perfect atmosphere for a vampire, but not one of Remilia's taste. The worst of it was that Alex could find only one thing that suggested someone could actually stand to live here, and that was a single, round, queen-sized bed covered in fresh sheets. But he'd be damned if it wasn't the fanciest bed he'd ever seen before.

The sheets were crimson with gilded gold edges that had to have been woven with finesse by a goddess, and the see-through blood red drapes around and above the bed were attached without even an inch of misalignment. For all the ways this room resembled a prison, it was also respected like the throne room for a princess.

"Well, try not to get too broken up." Patchouli was gone just as quickly as she arrived, leaving the boy with a remark meant to rile him up. Though instead he just rolled his eyes and threw caution to the wind by walking to the center of the room.

" _Ok, I_ _ **know**_ _who lives here."_ He wanted to say their name but felt that'd be unwarranted, given the circumstances that brought him here.

" _So...why her Remilia?"_ Closing his eyes and grumbling aloud for a bit, Alex tried to delve into the depths of Remilia's mind and plunder just what the curiously curious vampire would want out of splitting them apart.

"Hello...?" The pleasant and quiet voice of a little girl surprised him from behind. He glanced over the shoulder and then turned around with a couple steps, finding the girl standing up to his waist with a broken up brown teddy bear nestled against her chest by a pair of pale, frail arms.

The girl's red tinted eyes showed no fear, but a natural child-like curiosity. Her dress was red with a vest and a pink shirt underneath. It was simple in its fanciness, just like her sister's. And like her sister, she also wore a mob cap, but hers was pink with a red ribbon. Her hair was a fair blonde shade and tied up in a single ponytail sticking out from the left of her head. However, the most striking detail that separated her from her sister and indeed most other vampires, was her wings. They weren't that of a nocturnal predator who stalked their prey with an ear-bleeding screech. No, they were instead like a pair of shaven Christmas tree branches, each decorated with a set of seven different colored crystal ornaments.

Alex tensed up for a couple seconds as he looked this child in the eyes. As a vampire, she had no presence to speak of. But not like that stopped Remilia, Alex thought. This girl simply had no ambition, no charisma, she was as pure and innocent as a child could come, and that teddy bear she kept on her was the wall dividing that pure child from her frightening vampiric nature. Yet, the boy could not shake off this unnerving grip the girl's gaze had on him.

"Why are you down here?" She asked, remaining courteous but spicing up her tone with a sudden hint of bluntness.

" _Ah, I think I get it now..."_ Alex closed his eyes and forces himself to accept the role Remilia had assigned for him in this little play she's haphazardly strung together.

"I'm here to 'play' with you." He responded, and the girl's eyes perked up with excitement.

"Play? You're here to play?" Her wings started to flutter, and her body quivered. She lowered her head and grinned, but nothing about it seemed pleasant on her part.

"Hehehe...You're odd. Are you _really_ human, like the red-white?"

"Of course I am. Haven't you ever seen a male before?" Alex joked.

"No." Her reply was expected and yet still a little sad to hear, yet the pity Alex felt for her was undercut by what she said next.

"But...you're looking at me with a lot of 'eyes'. Could you tell your 'eyes' to stop? Cause...cause if you don't..." The girl's grin started to squirm with delectable madness as she pulled her right hand away from the bear and raised it towards Alex's chest. Her fingers parted but quickly curled, as though she wanted to grab hold of something and squeeze.

With his heart starting to race, Alex reached for the stone in his right pocket as a very, very loud sets of sirens blared in his head, _"The power to instantly destroy anything...What the hell's she aiming that at me for?"_

The trembling of her hand worsened and she started to grit her teeth and struggle with herself. Then, right as the fingers clasped together, she threw her hand down and squeezed the chest of the teddy bear. With a non-discreet popping sound, the bear's head flew right off along with its legs, spilling cotton all over the top of her shoes.

As the head plopped and rolled onto the ground between them, Alex eased up and pulled his hand out, while the girl went quiet and returned to a more pleasant demeanor, complete with a sincere apology, "I'm sorry odd person...I almost broke you before we got to play."

Alex closed his eyes and started to feel some strange sense of connection to this lonely little vampire, and that comfortableness got him to loosen up and tell her, "Cut it out with that 'odd person' stuff...You want my name? Its Alex...Alex Whiter."

"Ah-lecks...Whiter?" She had some trouble pronouncing the name, but made an effort to repeat it to herself quietly a few times before shaking her head and playfully telling him, "I'll just keep calling you...'odd person'!"

"You snarky little..." Alex grumbled before deciding to just chalk up her behavior as simple social immaturity. With a sigh he then got on his knees and put the teddy bear's head in his hand. Looking into the empty button eyes filled him with a sense of loss and longing, so he nudged the head around and swiftly looked up at the rest of the bear.

"Here, give it to me, I'll patch it right up." He then waved his other hand up and watched as the girl tilted her head.

"You will? Really?" She looked down at the mangled state of her teddy bear and murmured, "Sakuya always does it...She has such a delicate touch with her knitting."

She then stared at the boy and asked, "Are...you really a _male_?"

"Just hand it over before I change my mind!" Alex demanded with an ornery twitch in his eyebrows. Once the girl was compliant in his request, Alex crossed his legs and swept the pieces of the bear onto his lap. He then whipped up a sewing needle and some string out of thin air from his palm and propped the bear's body against his stomach.

The curious little vampire stared in awe and cuddled her hands together at the waist. Alex made every stitch with care around the bear's neck, all while tucking the loose cotton back in. He didn't make a peep, even as he breathed, and soon he has halfway done.

Then the girl sat down and continued to watch, tucking her wings in and keeping her hands flat on the ground. Alex's swiveled the bear around to continue his delicate work, undisturbed even as the girl inquired to him, "Why are you doing this?"

He kept his eye on the needle and weaved the thread through the fibers of the bears, a true master of his craft. The girl blinked a bit and then nudged her head closer, waving her hand in front of the boy's face. He didn't even blink.

" _A stuffed animal? Why would you need something that childish? Don't ya get it? You're a big boy now,_ _ **son**_ _."_

Alex's hand and right eye twitched, and the needle went just that little bit off course to nick the tip of his left thumb. Registering the bleeding as little worse than a feather poke, he rubbed his thumb against the palm and continued working.

The girl pulled back and poked a fang out through her smiling face, curiously inquiring all to herself, "I wonder...are you just the scraps that big sister threw away?"

"...Scraps? Scraps?" Alex broke character with a gruff chuckle, though at least he made sure to finish the stitching on the head before he laughed and said in a gravely offended tone, "Give me a break...I'm no damn table scraps, I'm at least an entree, or a goddamn main course!"

Shaking his head and continuing to grumble about scraps, he started to work on the bear's legs. This went by faster due to their smaller size, though the cotton did struggle a bit to stay in the body. When he was done, he flicked the needle away and held the bear up by its sides.

He looked at it for a few more seconds and then closed his eyes as he handed it off to the vampire with a confident, "There, all fixed."

The girl snatched the bear right up and squeezed it tight with a smile that could melt glaciers. Alex wanted to smile too, but something about that just felt...empty.

"Well, well..."

"GAH!" Alex stood right onto his feet and turned around to meet Sakuya face-to-face, his heart threatening to leap out of his chest.

"Will you QUIT doing that?!" He yelled while gasping for breath.

The demure maid closed her eyes and brushed a hand up next to the face, complimenting the boy in her own crude way, "It seems you're taking to Lady Flandre pretty well. I had assumed I'd need to bring my mop and broom."

"Cute," Alex scowled with biting sarcasm, "Did Remilia send you?"

Sakuya walked around Alex and knelt closer to the little vampire, brushing the stitching around the neck with a smooth glide of the hand. Then she looked up and asked, "Is everything going ok, young mistress?"

"Hehehe, is this odd person one of big sister's new pets? Cause I wanna keep him..."

"No no. Actually..." Sakuya leaned in closer to Flandre's left ear and began whispering. Alex raised his brows and tried to listen in, but the maid swiftly stood up and started to reach into her right pocket.

Flandre's eyes sparkled with wonderment, leaving Alex even more curious to know what Sakuya told her. Flapping her wings to somehow manage levitation, the little vampire could barely contain her excitement as she said, "Ok, I want to play with him now!"

"Then allow me to give you two a bigger playground. Just be careful not to damage anything," Sakuya peered over her shoulder and said with a little more snide in her voice, "And that-"

"Goes double for me, yeah yeah, your librarian already gave me the business. Just..." Alex swung his fingers out a couple times and forced things along, "Hurry up and do your thing."

Sakuya whipped a golden pocket watch from her pocket and held it out to the right. Through the use of some mythical mumbo-jumbo, the space in this room suddenly increased tenfold, leaving the bed far off in the south. Even though there were many logistics to question in what just happened, Sakuya disappeared before anything was asked.

Alex crossed his arms and was at a complete loss of words. It was starting to get just a TAD bit annoying that the vampire who has probably only seen a handful of humans was treating him with the most manners.

Flying right in front of his face with the teddy bear dangling down beside her, Flandre called out to him in an enticingly playful manner, "Come on! Come on! I want to play now!"

"Settle down. I've been ready this whole time." Alex kept his cool and catered to Flandre's wishes. The little vampire then zipped right on over to her bed to put the teddy bear down, patting it a couple times on the head.

Alex took the time she spent getting ready to push himself off the ground and levitate in the center of the room. He loftily pushed his right hand away from the hip and drew his sword from a wreath of embers. It was an amber schimitar with an extra fang in the center to make it better resemble a flame.

Flandre flew up until she was sixty feet away from Alex, grinning across her entire face as she had trouble fighting back the giggles, "You're going to be fun to play with odd person!"

"Hey, feel free to go wild if you want to." Alex advised without an air of concern as to the kind of hell he might be unleashing.

"Mmm...No, that's fine! I've been trying really hard to control myself lately, and I _think_ I'm making progress?" Flandre tilted her head.

"Alright, don't say I didn't warn you." He shrugged, his recklessness breeding arrogance.

"Hehehe! But I don't need to go wild to beat you in a Spell Card duel!" Flandre tucked her arms back and smiled.

"I...beg your pardon?" Alex widened his eyes and seemed completely blind-sided.

"Sakuya said I should just use two cards to beat you. I can't wait to see what an odd person like you can do with Danmaku!" The flames of Hell erupted in a twisted, bent up line behind Flandre, summoning forth a wand with two heart-like ends that she swung out in her right hand. Extending her other hand out towards Alex, she looked ready to take on the whole world.

 **Flandre Scarlet ~ An Innocent Little Devil?**

Caught with his pants down, Alex glanced to the left and coughed, while the swelling balloon of arrogance in his head popped.

" _Shit...I forgot about those."_

Flandre widened her eyes and inquired, "Ummm...are you ok mister? You look like you're having one of those 'aneurysms' Patchouli's always complaining about"

" _Ghhh...I'll just have to deal with it. Besides, how hard could it be?"_ Alex smiled and focused back on Flandre with his sword pointed out, believing that Danmaku can be simplified down to, _"Its just a fight with nothing but projectiles. If I could handle Nu, this'll be a walk in the park."_

Flandre grinned and turned her left hand around, summoning a Spell Card from a small rainbow ember and positioning it between her eyes, "Ok then! Here I come...!"

She hovered the card up a little higher and squeezed her hand shut, causing it to go 'Poof!' in an instant as she called out its name, "Mesmerizing Scarlet 'Temptation of Blood'!"

Positioned in the very back of the room, Flandre flapped her wings and started off by firing a red see-through orb on both sides of her body. Each orb flew at an angle to the wall and bounced off straight towards Alex. He flew a little higher and smirked as they passed underneath, but then noticed that the orbs left behind dozens of tinier red bullets that all flew right where he had moved to.

Alex hung back and let the bullets gather close so he could dodge them all at once at the last second, but then a tangerine colored glint of light caught his eye. With another flap of the wings straight after the first, Flandre sent an orange pair of orbs northwest and southeast, where they did the same thing the first did, just without Alex being in the center of their rebound path.

But the flurry of tinier orbs came in pursuit way too soon after the first wave had even _begun,_ meaning Alex had to fly even further distances just to avoid getting swallowed up by the barrage. His reaction was just a millisecond too late, and many of the orange bullets scraped across his back like a herd of hungry termites.

" _Shit! That burns...I thought these things were supposed to be harmless?!"_ He grasped his sword and swung it out as he stopped back where he first started the fight. Raising it above his head in both hands he set it ablaze and thought, _"Well if this is how you want to play Flandre...I'll oblige!"_

He unleashed a crescent wave of flames three times as tall as he was straight at Flandre, who in response giggled as the flames encroached upon her presence and then whipped out her mighty wand Lavaetein. Holding it overhead in both hands with it wrapped up in a fifteen foot tall inferno of piercing dark red flames, Flandre swung it out with the brute force of a club and cleaved Alex's flames in twine.

At the same time, her weapon seared the very air with a mighty laser that stretched forty feet long and curved for 120 degrees, leaving behind a multitide of spearheaded red bullets. Even though it was just used to manifest her Danmaku, Alex could sense the raw power that Lavaetein wielded.

" _She could easily wipe out this whole mansion if she wanted to..."_ A sweatdrop trickled down the side of his face and was caught on the tip of his tongue as he licked his lips. He was getting excited, and thus unattentive. The new set of bullets flew at him like a hail mary of arrows combating warriors in fuedal Japan, forcing him to sloppily scurry away.

He hastened to the back of the room, where he ended up pinned against the wall. Planting his hands against it, he flipped upside-down and watched as all the bullets crashed, turning his attention right back to Flandre after. She had already begun her next waves of Danmaku, firing a yellow pair of see-through orbs going north and south and then a green pair going northeast and southwest, and with them came all the pesky little bullets.

Alex dispelled his sword and sprung off the wall, speeding straight towards the bullets coming his way. With how fast he was moving the bullets didn't have time to correct course and overwhelm him, and on top of that there was just enough of a gap in the very center to squeeze through. Thus, he made it through with only a few bullets grazing his body.

" _Who cares about a few bullets here and there...?"_ He halted straight upright in the center of the room and jerked both fists down near the hips, setting them on fire.

"Time for my REAL counterattack!" Alex pounded at the air with a bombardment of fists, each blow launching a fireball until a flurry of a dozen or so filled the room around Flandre. She drew Lavaetein again and swung it the same way as before, and whatever fireballs the laser didn't destroy the shockwave from the weapon put most of them out. But some connected, nudging Flandre back a few centimeters as she swept her weapon aside and began to kick her wings up at a faster pace unperturbed.

Alex panted a bit as his smoking fists limped down to his hips. Teeth grit with abounding confidence in his performance, he mumbled out to keep hyping himself up, "Yeah, this is easy...Shina just made it look-"

Flandre's fluttering wings created an unsightly scene for Alex, as she fired the see-through orbs in all eight directions in the span of a second. He dodged the orb with a slight rise, but now had to deal with the hundreds of Danmaku left behind. And there was still the matter of the bullets Lavaetein left in the air, which Alex _may_ have neglected to remember.

" _What the HE-"_ He didn't even have the time to curse the insanity of this deadly storm of bullets. He had to split, PRONTO. As the bullets went flying, so did he. He ran, scurrying to the bottom left edgeof the room like a cornered rat. The daggers from Lavaetein flew the fastest to his location and he flipped back to leave them impaling into the wall.

But as he landed, the dazzling display of rainbow Danmaku caught up and bombarded him. Forced to stand his ground, what he thought were pesky bug bites before now felt like a herd of tigers biting deep into the flesh. It was lucky for him that the barrage was so scatter-brained due to their being tons of bullets.

When that terrible onslaught had run its course, Alex was feeling steamed and gnashing his teeth like his hair had been set on fire. Flandre started her barrage over from the beginning without pause, but watched over Alex with her curiousity waning.

"You're not very good at this...You're gonna break if you keep this up."

Now she was _pitying_ him, burrowing a hot dagger so deep into Alex's pride that he just simply COULD NOT ignore it. As both his eyebrows twitched with the slow closing of his eyes, the boy's hot temper manifested as actual fire around the body.

"Hooooo boy...You're REALLY asking for it now!" Alex clutched his fists until the knuckles threatened to burst through the skin. His drive to win wasn't put out, but unhealthily magnified into an inferno that consumed all other thoughts in his head.

When the next wave of see-through orbs spread their bullets his way, Alex bent and twisted his feet back and sprang straight to the center of the room, confusing the bullets' travel path. He then ignited his arms with electricity and punched straight out, his hair frizzing up as a giant bolt of lightning smashed into Flandre's body, lighting up the room in a seizure inducing flash. She then winced for a moment and drew Lavaetein for the next barrage of Danmaku.

She was genuinely enjoying herself, giggling like any other child would as she effortlessly cut a swathe of crimson through the air. Alex threw another punch and sent another lightning bolt crashing into Flandre's body as the wand finished up, pushing her a little further back.

"Ooof...! Hehehe, you really hit hard! But...I don't think this counts as Danmaku?" She had an uneasy smirk as she sent out her next wave of see-through orbs.

"I don't see why not!" Alex proclaimed, spreading his sparking right hand up and stringing a web of electricity between the fingers, "As long as I don't make physical contact, its Danmaku!"

He threw another punch and pushed ahead just enough to avoid the larger orbs. As this bolt smashed into Flandre's body, all of her present Danmaku shattered and she tumbled back into the wall. She recoiled pretty quick and shook her head, then patted her cap back into place.

Alex shorted out his arms with a flick of the wrists and then crossed them against the chest. Overflowing with confidence from every pore in his skin, the boy nudged his head up to amplify the smugness of his smirk, "Not that it'd matter either way. In any one-on-one duel, I'll always come out on top!"

"Hehehehe...!" Flandre continued to giggle for a little bit, coming off as a tad unhinged. Raising her head revealed both pupils had shrank to be as thin as a paper's edge, and the veins in her eyes suggested her adrenaline had been kicked into overdrive too.

"This is fun! This is REALLY fun!"

Alex widened his eyes and lowered his arms. It was easy to see that Flandre was getting too worked up, and that kind of behavior would be fatal for _everyone_ in the mansion. So, by raising his hands up near the chest and motioning them down, Alex tried as best as he could to calm her down.

"Hey, Sakuya asked us to not make a mess, remember?"

Flandre giggled for a little longer, but as her lips started to seal so too did the madness on her face subside. She puffed her cheeks for a second and then looked away with the tiniest, innocent guilt in her eyes, "Weeell...I guess I wouldn't..."

The fact that Alex calmed her down so easily worried him. It was like they were two peas in a pod.

" _Or I'm the doting babysitter forced to deal with a wild child while the parents go have fun..."_

Growling in annoyance as he imagined Shina and Remilia relaxing in a pool sipping tea served by Sakuya, Alex prayed with all his might that he was just overthinking things and returned focus onto Flandre. He still wanted to win, badly, but given the circumstances it was better to just not get riled up over it.

"Alright, lets get back to the duel. You still have another card left?"

Flandre gave a firm nod and then pulled out a second card. This one was a little sparklier than before, and she cherished it close to her chest.

"This is a really special card! Big sister and I came up with this together. I think she said its called a...Last Word?"

" _A Last Word? That's the strongest kind of Spell Card. If all else fails, a Last Word is supposed to force an opponent to surrender through the insane amount of bullets it releases,"_ The boy began to grimace in fear, _"And if that last card's any indication...Then, well...fuck."_

"Oh! But before I activate it..." Flandre squinted her eyes off and poked her cute little fang out. Then, just like that, there were now four Flandres.

" _...Oh you've GOT to be kidding me."_ He thought, even though he saw this coming.

"Hehehe...! Lets keep playing some more! We can have fun together!" The original Flandre squeezed the spell card to dust and proclaimed, "Last Word! Devil's Deception 'Dance of the Four'!"

The four Flandres scattered around to the edges of the room, standing perfectly north, south, east and west from where Alex was. Their giggles echoed like a crowd of children romping around a playground, and they started to twirl around in a complete and perfect circle. They tucked Lavaetein behind their wings and used each flap of them to fire off Danmaku.

The first wave consisted of red bullets all twice the size of an average human hand. They spread out in the form of vertically aligned crescent waves composed of five or so rows. It was effortless to just hover over them, but Alex wasn't prepared for what came after.

Next came a constant stream of orange bullets that spun out clockwise from the Flandres' bodies. Since the red bullets were still around, Alex was confined to the upper half of the room to evade this wave. He laid back and hovered still, and thankfully his healthy diet had given him a thin enough stomach to slip between the only worrisome bullets.

Third in line was something that couldn't be avoided just by lazing around like a vacationer on a beach hammock. The yellow bullets that came from the Flandres stretched out from the floor to the ceiling in a perfectically vertical wall. There is enough of a gap to slip through normally, but the presence of the orange bullets and the remaining red ones made dodging a tight squeeze. And Alex wasn't exactly someone you'd call _graceful_. He slipped up passing through and at least ten bullets scraped his body, where he began to start feeling some wear and tear regarding his endurance.

" _Shoot...I can't tell if this is actually hurting me or if it's all in my head."_ Real or not, pain proved to be a good motivator for him to fight back, and he turned his attention down towards Flandre. But because he'd been so focused on the bullets, he lost track of the real deal.

The next wave emerged from all sides, this time an upright cross of green bullets. Having made it past the walls, Alex just had to fly to the right a little to hide in the corner of the crosses. But then the next wave dashed any hopes of safety, as the second set of crosses, compromised of bullets, emerged from the Flandres diagonally.

Widening his eyes and sucking in his gut to try and squeeze past the very edge of the cross, Alex ejaculated air prematurely and ended up taking a couple bullets for his trouble. And just when he thought it was over, Flandre showed that she's a lot more cunning than she lets on by sending out a flurry of violet bullets behind her that rebound and fly sporadically amongst the other Danmaku. With the bullets kept in that confined space combined with the perilous predicament Alex was in, the boy had no choice but to let the bullets ram into him.

Now the pattern restarted from the red bullets, so Alex hastily went just a little bit above them, believing it'd be a better vantage point to seek the real Flandre out. But then after a chilling giggle, all four Flandres began to sing.

"Ring-a-round the rosie, a pocket full of posies...Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down..."

While Alex dodged the incoming orange bullets and readied his body for the yellow, he perked his ears up and baited Flandre with a question, "Do you know what the nursery rhyme's meant to describe?"

"No? Big sister used to sing me to sleep with it though."

All four Flandres spoke in harmony, and there wasn't a single deviation to exploit. Alex pressed through the wall of yellow bullets rather poorly, but bit his teeth through the pain and persisted in seeking Flandre out through sound.

"It describes the Black Plague, a terrible epidemic that killed millions of humans."

"Millions? Is that bad?"

"...Yes, yes it is." Alex squinted his eyes a bit and was pained to hear such an innocent but sincere question.

"Oh, well its ok because they stopped dying, right?"

"I...guess that's one way to look at that." He had to stop the conversation right there. Not only because it was making him sick to his stomach, but because it was proving ineffectual in finding Flandre. It wasn't just a voice that was shared between them, but their powers were the same too.

While trying and failing to make it past the crosses, Alex could feel his body weakening some more. With a gasp of ragged air he forced his heart to start pumping more blood so he could keep going and looked around. Luckily for him, the violet bullets this time around avoided him all on their own, giving him a little more time to come up with a battle plan.

" _It'd be easy to just throw projectiles everywhere and flush Flandre out that way, but...Who knows how long it'd take to beat her Last Word that way? Since my power seems to perfectly translate into Danmaku strength, I SHOULD be able to defeat Flandre in one attack. But her clones are way too perfect...They're exact reflections of the real-"_

He stopped to widen his eyes and then murmur, "Reflections...reflections that's it!"

Snapping his fingers, he pushed away from the wall of yellow bullets and started to cook up a genuine solution to this puzzling predicament. Giving himself a firm nod he whispered "Better hope this works..." and positioned himself in the very center of the four Flandres' line of sight. Keeping that spot in mind as he evaded the incoming crosses, he stiffened himself upright and swung his hands up next to the shoulders.

He spawned two rugged glass daggers as big as his head and threw them aside. They traveled straight as an arrow and missed the Flandres entirely, sticking to the walls. He tanked the violet bullets even as his vision started to blur and spun around to throw two larger daggers north and south.

"Your aim is off...Are you ok?" Flandre inquired without a hint of malice.

"Yeah, I'm _juuuust_ fine..." He whispered as he set his hands on fire and spun around, throwing fireballs out towards the glass. Flandre evaded them and started her bombardment from the beginning. Alex resumed floating around, but didn't really seem to care as much for the art of dodging. He focused on the glass daggers, which had melted down into bumpy but functional reflective surfaces. He had accounted for distance when making their size, so no matter which way he'd look he'd be able to 'see' Flandre.

He swung his right hand behind his back and started to condensed fire into an orb. Hotter and hotter it burned until it his fingers were pushed apart trying to contain it. He forced his eyes wide open and they started to water, but he knew his efforts would soon bear fruit.

"Have you just given up mister?" Flandre again asked with innocence.

"Give up? Me? Ha!" Alex blurted out with scarcely any doubt in his burning heart, "Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about clones Flandre..."

His head swiveled clockwise as right at that moment one of the makeshift mirrors failed to have a reflection. Locking on to that particular Flandre, he hid his grin and waited to her to come around from behind before crunching the flaming orb.

"Its impossible to perfectly copy the original!" He spun right back around and fired a beam of fire twice as big as he was. Flandre widened her eyes in sheer awe as it crashed into her body and threw her against the wall. A massive hole blew up in the wall right as all her bullets and clones vanished.

Alex threw his hand back, widened his eyes, and yelled out a quick 'Shit!' before flying right over to the hot rubble that Flandre had gotten buried under. As he grabbed onto one of the stones, Flandre started to giggle and poked her head right out. The mild burn marks on her skin quickly mended, and she lit up with a smile.

"Hehehe...! That was fun! Can we play again?"

Alex's eyelids fluttered as he drooped with a sigh and murmured, "A vampire's stamina is incredible...and frightening."

"Flandre! Flandre, are you there?!" The panicked cry of an elder sister rung out into the basement, and the moment Alex looked up Remilia rammed him aside with a divebomb and clutched Flandre's hands into her own.

"Are you hurt?" For a brief moment, you wouldn't be blamed for forgetting that the person speaking was a proud and graceful vampire. She spoke with such deep, mending concern for her little sister that it almost made her human.

Not that Alex cared so much for the touching gesture, what with being thrown on his ass like a trashy rag doll and all. Rubbing his sore butt while standing up, Alex puffed air from his cheeks and tucked both hands into the pockets.

"Oh there you are Alex!" He was a bit relieved to hear Shina's voice, and it was just as full of pep as when he last saw her. He took a couple steps back to give her space to hop down in front of him. Then came the vampire's peanut gallery of Sakuya, Meiling, Patchouli and...Marisa?

Pointing fingers at her with a puzzled slack of the jaw, Alex was about to ask why she was here when the sight of her bag of books clamped his mouth right up.

Flandre rolled her eyes a bit and snipped at her sister, "Remilia...I'm fine, stop coddling me in front of my playmate."

"You're fine?" Remilia eyes perked up as she scanned her little sister's body once again. Then with a puff of the cheeks and an awkward cough the vampire turned around with arms crossed, looking quite proud of herself as she stated, "O-Of course you're fine! I knew everything would turn out ok."

"Oh _really_ now?" Alex crossed his arms and got right up to Remilia's face with his fingers fiddling away at both elbows, "And just WHAT exactly was your plan here, _Remilia_?"

The vampire didn't lose her cool and met Alex's stare cold as ice, telling him in a stern but delighted voice, "I'm glad you asked. Why don't we take this outside? Its quite stuffy in here."

Remilia waved to her sister and used the other hand to snap at Sakuya all without looking like an utter fool, "You could do with a little fresh air dear sister. Sakuya, provide her with one of my spare parasols."

"Awww, but I want to keep playing." Flandre pouted and swung Lavaetein down in place of stamping her feet.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later. I do believe our guests deserve some answers." Remilia smiled and waved her hand out, where Sakuya provided a parasol for the two Scarlets a second later. The three fluttered through the gaping hole, followed by Meiling.

Marisa threw the bag of books over her shoulder and hopped onto her broom, flashing a smirk towards Shina and giving her a genuine compliment, "Ya put on a good show. Maybe I'll catch another of yer duels later, see if ya can keep up!"

She rocketed out of the mansion before Patchouli could chide her for theivery, but the librarian didn't seem to care. Instead her focus was on Alex, where she tilted her head and then let out dry 'hmph' before flying out after the others.

Alex planted a hand on his hip and rubbed his shoulders around, taking advantage of the solitude he's been granted with Shina to ask, "So...Remilia forced you into a Spell Card duel?"

"Huh? Yeah!" Shina smiled and tucked her hands near the rear as she turned around, "Thoooough, it wasn't 'forced' persay."

"...What did she do?" He took up a tone as though coercing a child to tattle.

"Nothing! Least...not on purpose, I think?" She tapped the side of her face and swayed her head back and forth, "I musta just been taken in by her natural charisma."

"Then you need to work on strengthening your mental fortitude," Alex said, pulling his punches by keeping his tone casual, "She may be a vampire, but she's got the mentality of a child. There's nothing attractive about her at all."

"I...don't think you're the best judge of that Alex." She laid her hand against the side of her lip puckered face.

"Oh yeah? Why not?" The boy got a little riled up by that and slanted his brows.

"Well, I'm the only other girl you've spent a lot of time with..." Shina bit her teeth down right after, forcing a grin.

"And I don't need any others." Alex closed his eyes and crossed his arms, taking a firm stance on what he just said. It took Shina's embarrassed but pleased giggle for him to widen his eyes with a face redder than the Scarlet's eyes and realize what he had just said.

"Y-You did that on purpose!" He blurted, knowing that he had told no lie.

"Hehehehe. Come on, we're keeping 'em waiting." She spun around with her hair stretched down like a golden curtain that hid her smile and glided right out of the mansion.

Alex grumbled and then followed, but not without dashing any hopes that might be brewing in her head, "Ok fine, but once we're done playing Remilia's game its back to searching!"

They met the Scarlet Devil crew near the edge of the porch. Remilia basked in the shadows of her parasol as the sun shone bright above, and Patchouli was right by with an open spell book.

"Ah! Took you long enough!" Remilia proclaimed.

"You're the one who's stalling Remilia. Now spill, why did you do all this?" Alex cut to the chase, knowing that he wasn't the only one impatient as he glanced over at the tapping Patchouli and Flandre.

"Yes yes, I'm sure you two are veeery busy. But! What I have to say is very important, and you have no choice but to listen. If you do, Patchouli has agreed to let you examine her library to search for your 'Cosmos Drive'."

"...Now we're getting somewhere." Alex cracked a pleasant smile and nodded in agreement.

"Good!" Remilia clapped her hands and then wiggled her fingers at Patchouli, who thrust her right hand up and weaved together a magic megaphone that the vampire snatched up and gave a couple pats on the back.

"...What now?" Alex's mood did a whole 180 and he began to scowl.

"Fufufu...You know, you really should've seen this coming the moment you two so casually breeched the barrier. But, its not as though you _could_ have known what this place is like."

"Ms. Remilia, you're not makin' any sense..." Shina pointed out.

"I shall in a moment. Lets just say I'm...speeding up the inevitable for my own amusement." Remilia rocketed into the sky with parasol and megaphone in hands. High above the mansion, Remilia spread her wings and placed the megaphone right up against her mouth.

"I swear, this is getting ridic-"

"Attention Gensokyo!" Remilia screamed so loud that there was no way a single Youkai, Deity or Human would fail to hear her, "It is I, Remilia Scarlet, your one and only Scarlet Devil! I am sending a challenge out to all able-bodied denizens of Gensokyo...You may have seen a pair of lights falling from the sky today. Fret not, we're not under attack this time! Instead, those lights have heralded a legend to our world. _Some_ of you may have heard of this person in passing, others may have lived to see him in person way back when..."

"That's right! The Elemental Overlord has come to Gensokyo!"

Alex spat spit and choked on empty air for a good ten seconds, while Shina widened her eyes and dropped her lower jar as far as it could go.

"And he's not come alone! Thus, this is my proposition..." All-across the land, everyone who held a position of power paid the utmost attention as Remilia laid the stakes of her game out crystal clear, "Anyone who can somehow manage to defeat both of them in Spell Card duels...Shall earn whatever favor they desire from me! ...So go! Seek these two out as best you can, and beat them if you believe yourselves capable! Lets show this living legend what it TRULY means to be a part of Gensokyo!"

She stopped and lowered the megaphone along with her head. Alex was staring at her, understandably full of anger and confusion. He clutched his hands into fists as Remilia bore her fangs into a grin. Now he understood the full extent of the vampire's cunning. Her scarlet eyes locked this important truth behind a curtain of cold, calculating steel, waiting until the prime oppurtunity to spring her trap.

Now all of Gensokyo has become a hunting ground for the mercilessly strong, and him and Shina were the perfect prey. Those who knew nothing of the Elemental Overlord would want to see what he's capable of. Those who DID know would relish the chance to face a legend.

Alex knew this would come to be a huge pain in the ass for him and Shina going forward, and there was no avoiding it. If they wanted to find the Cosmos Drive, they'd just have to fight off every single challenger lured in by Remilia's whimsical ploy.

"...Ok then _Remilia_..." Alex exuded with confidence in the smirk he flashed, "Bring. It. On."

"Fufufu...let the games begin, Elemental Overlord." Remilia whispered with joy.

 _Next Time: The Immortal Legends_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The House of Eternity**

Not long after painting a big, bloody target on her guests' back, Remilia retreated to her cozy coffin bed for some much needed R&R. Her incredible and annoying ability to escape the reprecussions of her actions left Alex in a huff for a while after.

But, at the very least, she held true to her word. While Sakuya tended to the Scarlet Sisters' bed rest and Meiling patched up the hole in the wall, Patchouli guided their guests to her library. The two split up and looked over every nook and cranny while she watched over them, primarily Alex, like a starving hawk.

Alas, after an hour passed the two had seen everything the library had to offer, and didn't even have any leads to show for their troubles. Patchouli quickly shoo'd them right out of not just her library, but the mansion too. Needless to say, Alex was steamed by that point.

"Razza frazza vampire and her grghing frughing tricks..." Actual smoke rose out of his head while he remained hunched over so terribly that even a gargoyle wouldn't believe it.

With his air of negativity looming like darkened storm clouds, Shina decided it'd be in her best interests to be his lone ray of sunshine. She leaned down close to his face and proclaimed, "Don't worry about it Alex! I wasn't expectin' to find the Cosmos Drive right outta the gate either!"

But he paid her no heed, and tucked his hands deep down into his pockets. She hummed in concern and stood upright, contemplating what to do next to help. As the first idea popped into her head, Alex let loose a tired breath like he had just gotten out of bed and rubbed his scalp.

"They knew we were coming..." He murmured ominously.

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"They had to have planned the whole thing before we showed up...Everything happened way too fast and clean, even for Remilia," He reached for his chin and gave it a firm rub in irritation, "Not to mention the way she worded her challenge."

"Yer thinkin' just a teeny tiny bit too hard about this..." She said with fingers pinched before the chest just a few millimeters apart, "Ya heard Marisa, we both just plopped right out of the sky like meteors. Heck! Who knows how long we we were out for?"

Alex kept listening but wasn't following her logic in the slightest, "You're being too optimistic about this Shina. Remilia might as well have been one sentence away from saying..."

He put on his scarily good posh vampire impersonation, complete with copying Remilia's bridged fingers before the chest, "Hi! How are you doing, Phoenix of Destruction?"

"Eeeeh?"

Alex opened his right eye and felt the sheer bewilderment on Shina's face beaming down upon him. As he spread his fingers out and rubbed both sides of his forehead to get rid of the migraine, he groaned his thoughts aloud, "Forget it, doesn't matter now...Remilia's already shoved an even bigger thorn in our asses when the one we had barely fit."

"Yeah...Now all of Gensokyo's gonna be lookin' for a Spell Card duel..."

Shina laid a hand against the side of her face and sighed. But any concerns she appeared to have lasted only a second, for with both fists coiled up next her plump red cheeks she squealed in delight, "Ooooh...I'm so ex-CITED!"

"Yeah. Great. More Danmaku..." Rolling his eyes then sticking them up high, he let out a mute sigh of exapseration.

"Right now...Lets just _try_ and check another place out before the crows come out to play."

"...Wait you mean figuratively or lit-"

"Yes." Alex bluntly cut her off right as they reached the front gate. Meiling, who had returned to her post, pulled away and intercepted the two and their conversation.

"Hey, you're heading out already?"

"Uh-huh!" Shina replied with a swift and pleasant nod.

Meiling forced a bit of a smile and rubbed the side of her head, "Heh...Sorry about the Mistress. Even I had no idea she was planning something like that."

She perked up optimistically, "But hey, she doesn't have any ill will towards you both. In fact, you're welcome to come back anytime if you want."

"I'll pass, thank you." Alex replied while Shina, sensing the tension surrounding him, went to change subjects.

"Say, Meiling, do ya know anywhere else where we might find the Cosmos Drive?"

"Somewhere else? Hmmm..." The gatekeeper went deep in thought, but Alex wasn't expecting any swift results. He just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

All of a sudden, Meiling's eyes widened as though on high alert, and her right arm sprung out like a cobra. Snatching an arrow the length of her arm right out of the sky, she was forced to take in a deep breath to stabilize her now shaking muscles.

The arrow had no presence until after it had arrived, masked by an air of mystery. The arrow was built with a smooth andsturdy wood, for it held up under the pressure of Meiling's grip. Curiously too, had she not stopped it, Alex's head would've, and he wasn't the least bit amused to realize that.

"Huh?" The ferocity of a dragon became tamed through a human-like curiosity, and Meiling pulled the arrow in and took a piece of paper right off the end. She gave it a quick glance then held it over shoulder.

"This seems to be yours..." She said to Alex, who took the paper with eyes crumpled shut.

" _And so it begins..."_ He spread the paper apart and started to read it aloud.

"Dear Alex Whiter and Shina Aurora..." The letter's personal touch already gave him a massive conniption, "I am cordially inviting you to our residence in Eientei to discuss certain matters of importance to us both. You can decline if you wish, but you shall probably come to regret it later, I can assure you. So, I shall look forward to your timely arrival, yes? Yours truly, Eirin Yagokoro."

Scrunching the letter at its sides and lowering it out of sight, Alex's face turned into something you'd see on a Picasso as he contained a very nasty growl. What Meiling said after basically summed up Alex's thoughts on the matter in a PG rated format, "Wow, I never would've thought THEY'D be the first to respond to Remilia's challenge."

"No kidding..." Shina murmured in awe, followed by a gentle gulp.

"Well, I GUESS we're going to Eientei." Alex absolutely had to force himself to sound enthusiastic.

Meiling intervened with sound advice, "Well in that case you'd want to head for the Bamboo Forest, but-"

"We'll take it from here, thanks..." Alex brushed her off earnest attempt to help mercilessly and then hurried things along by flying off, forcing Shina to just wave farewell and mouth a quick 'Sorry!' before she scurried after Alex.

"O-Ok! Don't be strangers!" Meiling yelled, still taken aback by Alex's lack of manners.

Skybound once more, Alex gave the invitation one more look before throwing it back in a crumpled heap. Shina snatched it right up and unfurled it for her own perusal as she glided next to Alex.

"Can't believe THE Brain of the Moon of all people wants to see us..." She looked at Alex's bothered face and offered support, "Ya nervous?"

"Why would I be?" His voice was neutral, neither worried nor calm.

"Well...what if she tries to dissect us?" Her body became riddled with chills, "I don't think I'd do well under the knife..."

"I'm positive she's not that kind of doctor. The only dissecting she does is with her eyes."

Shina looked down at her body and then cuddled herself tight, the blood rushing to her face as she stared wide-eyed straight ahead.

Alex glanced at her and shook his head, then took a look at the ground. They were fast approaching the menagerie of Bamboo stalks, each of them as tall as small oaks, and inside of there lied their destination...

"Can't get to Eientei from the air...Pain in the ass it may be, but we'll just have to walk..." He already started to head down once he finished speaking, and pushed through the forest's stiff, stubborn canopy as though swimming in a vat of tar and rubber. The moment he penetrated inside, he spun to land on his feet and turned around to see how Shina fared.

Unfortunately, her 'blessings' were a curse upon her this day, as she could not squeeze through. After watching her grunt for a bit, Alex leaned aside and snapped his fingers out to move the bamboo.

Like a stone loaded in a slingshot Shina flew straight down, her trajectory landing her right on Alex's arm. Proud of his gentlemanly, calculated save, Alex was about to smile at her about it when he saw that Shina's chest was pressing against his triceps.

He pulled his arm right back in and turned away with a cough and red face. Shina landed on her feet and turned to him, saying with an innocent giggle, "T-Thank you..."

"D-Don't mention it..." Alex's voice trailed off into Wonderland before he shook those naughty thoughts free, "S-So...where do we go from here?"

"You don't know?"

"Of course not, its a maze in here," He replied so matter of factly, "Do YOU?"

"W-Well...No...But I DO have a plan!" Shina proclaimed, keeping her hopes and head held high.

"Fire away, I'm listening..." Alex replied, ignoring the dread feeling building deep in the pit of his gut.

"I heard that you can solve all mazes by just taking a right at every turn. So all we have to do is..." Shina looked around, her facial features drooping as she realized there was too much open space for there to be any corners, "Oh..."

"Haaaa...we should've gotten directions before we came here..." Alex slumped over in annoyance.

"I think Meiling was about to before you rudely brushed her off..." Shina was soft and blunt in her observation.

"Tsk, so I wanted to get the hell outta there, sue me..." He said while swinging his right arm up.

"Well, now would be a good time to use that stand-offish energy of yers to get us outta HERE."

"...Let me just try and sense the building." Alex closed his eyes and stood up, but everything around him became bright and fuzzy in an instant.

"Tsk...There's a ton of magic in this forest, its hard to see past it..." A glow of crimson broke through from behind them, hovering like a wandering spirit.

" _Someone coming...with fire?"_ Alex, for the first time since coming to Gensokyo, was actually glad to be running into one of its denizens. He turned around and tried to act natural, and Shina caught his silent cues right away.

"I was wondering who was making all that noise at this time of day..." Speaking in a gruff feminine voice, the person makes an astounding first impression by cutting down a small row of bamboo with one swipe of her bare hand. By comparison, her appearance was lacking in pizzaz. The girl walked out with her hands tucked into the pockets of her red hakama pants, which were covered in a few paper charms. A few charms also helped keep her ankle-length hair from looking like a wildfire of pale blue silk ready to consume her body. Topping her clothing off was a light brown shirt discolored by fire, with the sleeves completely in tatters save for the shoulders. The girl's skin wasn't as pale as Remilia or Flandre's, but it might as well have been considering how dead her red eyed gaze was. Despite looking like a ghost, the girl wasn't exactly ugly. She had a certain air of regality and mystery to her, and her distant demeanor didn't do anything to hurt that image. At worst, you could say she looked simple, but even that had its charm.

"If you're lost, I can guide you out." The girl kept it short and on a professional level, at least at first. Once she actually lifted her head and took some time looking at Alex and Shina, a spark of life entered her eyes.

"Hang on...Those clothes you're wearing...You're from the Outside World?"

"Sort of...?" Shina kept her lips sealed on any further elaboration, but that little tidbit seemed to enough to entice the girl's curiosity.

"Huh, so just like that other girl..." She burrowed her hands deeper into the pockets and remarked, "Well, you're lucky I found you before it became night time. One misstep in Gensokyo and you'll be chow for the Youkai. I'll escort you to the Human Village, but that's about all I can do for you."

She turned around, but Alex cut her off from moving by mentioning, "We're not looking for the village. We came in here on purpose."

"On...purpose?" She tilted her head back and seemed so distant in spite of the presence of concern in her voice, "Are you serious?"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm not." Alex daringly challenged her with a smirk.

"...Alright, suit yourselves." She shrugged and started to go back the way she came in, only for Shina to rush in front of her with a nervous giggle and a brief glare over to Alex.

"Actually...We could really use some help finding this place called Eientei. You seem to know your way around these parts, soooo-"

"Eientei?" The girl's brows perked then slanted, followed by her raising her voice a little to mention, "Look, I don't know who told you what, but the Human Village is an easier place to go for medicine, trust me."

"Do _either_ of us look sick?" Alex firmly stated, then waved his hand around and decided he was done with these shenanigans, "Shina just give her the letter."

"Yeah, that oughta clear this up for ya!" Shina thrust the paper in the girl's face, who stumbled a couple steps back in surprise before snatching the letter in her right hand and looking it over with just that same eye.

"What the hell..." She murmured to herself in drawn-out disbelief before throwing the letter up in the air and tucking her hand right back into a warm pocket. As she watched Shina grab the paper, she pointed a finger at her face and said, "So you're Shina..."

Then she glanced back and did the same to Alex, "And you must be Alex."

"Huh...dunno why that doctor would be that interested in a couple of humans, but..." The girl pursed her lips and took another look at the boy with one eye open.

"Hang on a second here..." She pointed at him from beside the hip and asked, "You're him...That person the vampire was making a ruckus about earlier."

"You could tell that easily, huh?" Alex sighed upon realizing that his one hope of sneaking around Gensokyo unrecognize, his average joe appearance, had failed him.

"Your power's not exactly well-hidden..." She rubbed the back of her her and seemed a bit amused by his response.

"Does that mean you're rarin' for a fight now?" Alex asked, his stare turning aggressive in an instant.

"Nah, not interested." She said right away, her reasons surely being hid behind lock and key.

"...Fine, I'll take you both to Eientei. Follow me, it's not very far." She tucked her hands into her pockets and started dragging her feet eastbound with her escorts in tow.

Starting off, Shina realized that there was something the girl had neglected to mention, and ran up beside her to ask, "So hey...What is your name miss..."

"Fujiwara no Mokou," She responded in a way suggesting she was just getting it out of the way, then rubbed the back of her head and insisted, "But just call me Mokou."

 **Fujiwara no Mokou ~ Inferno Contained in Human Flesh**

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Mokou!" Shina held her hand out past the side of Mokou's face, and she looked dumbfounded by that for a bit. She then raised her own hand and gave it a shake.

"Uh...same here..." It was a sincere if not awkward attempt to reciprocate her politeness.

They kept walking for a full minute without a word exchanged, for Alex was being Alex, and Shina was too busy admiring how cool Mokou looked. Then, the faint sound of someone could be heard in the distance. A little closer, and the sounds multiplied. Even closer than that, and some tiny rabbit-eared humanoids could be related to the pleasant melody. All of them were toiling away with tiny hammers at some stretchy white material, their cares a thing of the past thanks to their soothing voices helping each other out.

" _The first strike is for Lord Daikoku~"_

" _The second strike is for Lord Daikoku~"_

" _And for all of the 180 children..."_

" _We'll keep pounding mochi, ha! Let's pound mochi~"_

The rabbits repeated the song from the start in their squeaky youthful voices, ignorant to Mokou arriving in the clearing with her escorts. Their infectuous tune had already gotten to Shina, who began to hum it perfectly as though she was a rabbit herself.

Looking bored to the verge of falling asleep, Mokou looked at all the rabbits and remarked, "They're slavin' away for that festival of their's already? Damn, time sure does fly...Huh?"

She turned towards the center of the crowd, as did Alex. While most of the workers were sweet little carrots bouncing around the fertile field in their frilly pink dresses, one rabbit stood out like a stiff, dehydrated cornstalk.

This rabbit was about a few inches taller than Mokou and also had a bit more meat on her bones. She wore a black business suit over a white shirt and a beige skirt, white socks and red shoes. She had long light-purple hair with rumpled rabbit ears up top, and red eyes. As this short description would suggest, her appearance was simpler than simple, it was almost boring.

She was the only rabbit not singing, instead holding a clipboard and pen and tallying the amount of mochi the rabbits were working on. She looked away from her work and said in a low-pitch, modulated voice, "Great work everyone. We're just about to meet the rice cake quota for the festival."

That was the one time the rabbits stopped and let out a cheery 'Hoorah!', and with a stern, bossy look in her eyes the tall rabbit waggled the tip of her pen out and said, "Doesn't mean its time to slack off, ok?"

They scurried right back to their duties with increased vigor, while the tall rabbit dropped her arms down and let out a sigh of relief, "Everything's going smoothly so far..."

"Hey! Reisen!" Mokou's curt greeting sent a shiver through the rabbit's body as she murmured to herself, "Oh no, why now...?!"

Mokou trotted closer and swung her right hand up, being polite for the sake of politeness and nothing more. The rabbit looked her in the eyes and frowned with the clipboard under her arm, "You're earlier than usual today Mokou. Is...is there any chance you'd postpone your meeting with the Princess today? The Monthly Lunar Festival is tonight, and we still have preparations to make."

 **Reisen Udongein Inaba ~ A Doormat in the Kindest of Terms**

"Calm down, I'm just here to drop off a couple stragglers for that doctor of yours." Mokou insisted.

"Huh?" The rabbit looked up and saw Alex making the most half-assed handwave greeting ever while Shina was still humming the song.

"I didn't know Master Eirin was having any company today." The meeky confusion in her voice meant she couldn't have been lying, and Alex was inclined to believe that. Thus, he snatched the letter from Shina's hand, snapping her out of that trance, and walked over to give it to Reisen.

She didn't even take it, saying with eyes wide for a moment, "Well, she only uses that kind of paper for writing. I _guess_ you're telling the truth."

"Great, then I'll leave you to escort them the rest of the way." Mokou began to turn around and tried to cut out as soon as possible, but the rabbit spoke up in a brazen tone.

"I know you have your grudge with the Princess and all, but that shouldn't mean you can't come and enjoy the festival once in a while."

"Haaaa...I'm sure the festival's nice and all, but you don't get it. Its just difficult to be around-" Mokou peered over her shoulder and her pupils shrank and narrowed. Reisen suddenly had the undeniable feeling that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as Mokou's burning glare melted right through her on its way towards another. Trembling with a haphazard, agape mouth, Reisen turned around, already knowing what awaited her.

Secluded amongst the cutesy rabbits was a vision of exemplary beauty. Walking at a gentle, glacial pace, this girl had had very long raven hair in a hime cut and dark brown eyes as pure and pristine as the reflection of the moon off the surface of a lake. She wore a smile that looked so natural it may as well have been a permanent fixture on her face. Her choice of clothing, which included a pink shirt with many white bows and an ankle-length burgundy skirt decorated in yellow bamboo and flower shapes, invoked an ancient period of Japanese regality and magnified an already beautiful girl to heights even goddesses could not hope to reach.

She bent down and petted one of the rabbits on their head, causing them to blush and lose focus for a moment. Some of the mochi splattered onto the girl's face, but she just brushed it off with her sleeve and left the offender with another pat on the head as she stood. Then she turned her gaze towards Mokou, whose fiery glare met the pure warmth in her eyes on even ground.

She folded her sleeves together up next to her chest and took upon a mild, silvery voice harkening to royalty long since forgotten to time, "My my, if it isn't Mokou. How are you doing today?"

"Fine, _princess_...And _you_?" Mokou fought to say through gritted teeth.

"Same old, same old, I'm afraid. Why, it has only been twenty hours, thirty-two minutes and nine seconds since we last saw each other." Her manner of speaking was a little odd in spite of how divine it sounded, but she seemed to be aware of that to some degree as she chuckled right after.

"P-Princess Kaguya..." Reisen stumbled upon herself as she got out of Mokou and the girl's way, "You rarely leave the house this time of day."

"Yes well...Eirin suggested I get some fresh air while she finished working on a new medicine. So I thought to myself...'Hmm, I wonder how my favorite rabbit Udongein is faring this day. Perhaps I should go and see her.'" With a bright and sunny smile Kaguya showered her favored pet with praise, "And here you are, so hard at work keeping the other rabbits in line as you always do! Good job, Reisen!"

 **Kaguya Houraisan ~ A Sinner Cursed with Immortality**

"O-Oh..." Reisen's shakiness vanished in an instant, her master's praise carrying so much power that her demeanor did a complete 180, and she pressed her fists against her hips and raised her head up high, "But...but of course! Can't have a good Moon Festival unless everyone does their best!"

"Hehehe, and I look forward to seeing the fruits of your labor bloom into the night sky once more. But for now..." Kaguya lowered her hands and looked to Mokou, who was being shockingly patient for how cross her expression currently was.

"It does seem time for us to kill each other." She said in a nonchalant tone of voice as she became surrounded in a pure, lunar veil.

"Yeah...Why wait for the usual time when I can kill ya right now?!" Mokou moved her head around to crack her neck as her body literally fired up, the heat raising her hair up like a pair of wings. With a ferocious smirk she proclaimed, "This time I'll kill you four times in a row Kaguya! Hope you've made peace with your rotten lunar gods!"

"My oh my...Four times? Whatever did I do to deserve that treatment this time?" Kaguya remained nonchalant and even humored by Mokou's drive to end her life.

"Heh, you know _exactly_ what you did yesterday! Now quit stalling and pick your Spell Cards!" Mokou erupted off the ground and floated just a little over the forest. Kaguya sighed pleasantly and then slowly rose up after her, surrounded by five strange foreign objects.

During this whole unfolding feud, Alex crossed his arms, closed his eyes and thought to himself, _"Why do I suddenly feel like a side character in someone else's story?"_

He then noticed that the hard working rabbits dropped their tools all at once and stared up in the sky, which had erupted into a fireworks display of Danmaku from both parties. At the sight of this flagrant display of laziness, Reisen's head slumped as she bemoaned, "I _knew_ this would happen..."

"Hey, long-ears." Alex bluntly called out to her and she turned right on the spot with her stature returned to normal, albeit with a small pout.

"Oh right, you two still need guidance to Eientei?" She said in a drained voice, "Well...I won't be doing anything better for an hour so..."

"Thank you SO much Reisen!" Shina ran up and gave the rabbit a firm shake of the hand, almost pulling her off the ground as she introduced herself, "By the way, I'm Shina, Shina Aurora! Pleasant to meet ya!"

"Oh...uh...hi, Shina." She was too mentally exhausted to formulate a better response.

She then closed her eyes and requested in a shrill voice, "C-Can you please let go now?"

"Oh sorry!" Shina let go immediately and backed off with a cheesy giggly. She then clapped her hands once and gestured them towards Alex, "And the grumpy gus beside me is Alex Whiter!"

"And need I remind you _why_ I'm grumpy right now?" He glared her way and she straightened herself up.

"Right! Let us go see your master now, Reisen!"

"Ah...SHI-!" An explosion like fireworks went off above, cutting Mokou's mild panic attack short. All the other rabitts' eyes sparkled in awe as Mokou regenerated whole from the cloud of ashes.

Reisen saw how unfazed her escorts were as strange and whispered to herself, "Seriously, who ARE you guys?"

She guided them through the last bit of forest while remaining mute, and arrived at their destination within a minute. The true nature of Eientei is a lot simpler than one would think from its grandiose name. Ultimately, it was just a large, old-fashioned Japanese mansion. It didn't have any designer flourishes, no bright lights, nothing. ANYONE could have lived here, and yet the fabled Moon Princess chose to make this her home.

Aftter passing the wood fence surrounding the mansion, Reisen turned back and said, "Just let me go ahead and get-"

"Udongein, isn't it a little early to be away from your post?" A womanly voice that exuded with a mature patience lightly scolded the surprised rabbit from close by. Reisen turned around and jolted back, for there was someone already sitting on the porch with a hot clay tea cup in her lap.

She was the first person in Gensokyo who could be considered a woman in both age AND looks. She was as tall as both Alex and Shina, and a motherly, curvy figure. Her dark grey eyes and long silver hair, tied in a braid, were both nice representations of the colors the moon could take in the night sky. Her attire wasn't clothes so much as a large red and blue cloth made to look like a dress, complete with frilly sleeves and a white frilled rim at the bottom of her skirt, and a white belt around the waist to keep it looking practical. The cloth was covered in little sparkles made to represent certain constellations, while the trigrams for the complete Feng Shui set lined the bottom. Finally, to leave no doubt to the average passerby what she was capable of, she wore a simple nurse's cap with a red cross in the center.

She laid the cup down onto a simple stainless glass mat right in front of the center of two other cups, both of which were freshly brewed, judging by the thickness of the steam. A pair of pillows had been laid to rest with a fresh oriental scent similar to mint, and the woman didn't seem the least bit interested in inquiring her loyal apprentice about the guests. The scarily precise nature of her actions, her top-of-the-world demeanor, and a gaze that could pierce through diamond...There was no reason for her to introduce herself now. Even the lowest, primal Youkai could piece together her identity.

 **Eirin Yagokoro ~ Embodiment of Lunar Brilliance**

"Sorry Master Eirin," Reisen made haste to bow in respect, and held that position all while explaining herself, "But I was asked to deliver these two to you."

"Ah, so our beloved Princess is partaking in her daily fight to the death. Splendid." Eirin smiled, disturbing and puzzling Reisen as she lifted her head up.

"Ummm, are you ok?"

"Udongein," Eirin turned her head aside and didn't even bother to open her eyes, "While I appreciate you offering to help these two the rest of the way, they could have made it here on their own."

"Huh? We could've?" Shina spoke up, finding a surprising ease in talking to Eirin.

Alex thought for a bit and then closed his eyes to try and sense the elements in the forest once more. As he suspected, the fuziness that had blocked him off before ended _right_ at the edge of the clearing where the rabbits worked. He opened up right as Eirin smiled his way, her eyelids partway shut.

" _...She's in a whole different ballpark of pains in the asses than Remilia. Best bet's just to go along with whatever bullshit she's got planned for now..."_ For now, he let the exchange between master and apprentice play out.

"Well, there's no point punishing you for this Udongein. Just go and make sure the rabbits are back in order when those two have finished killing each other." She took another sip of tea and looked straight ahead at the empty seats, while Reisen nodded her head twice in quick succession and said, "Absolutely! You can count on me!"

She sprinted off like a cheetah on the hunt into the thick bamboo, leaving her former escorts to the mercy of her master. Eirin didn't waste a millisecond patting the edge of her makeshift table and saying, "Please, have a seat."

Alex nudged ahead and let Shina take the lead. She pointed at herself and he nodded slowly, then she swallowed a nervous gulp and climbed onto the porch, sitting prim and proper down on the right cushion. Her legs settled right into place with the comfort reminding her of the couch back home, causing her muscles to melt like creamy molasses.

"Mmmmm..."

As she accepted eternal bliss, Alex plopped down on the cushion beside her and bent his legs so his right knee was up and the other had his toes leaning against the table. He raised his brows at Eirin, as though inviting her to do something about this.

But she smiled, and was already five steps ahead of him. As his butt melded with the comforting warmth of the cushion, his legs dropped into a more proper position and he had to fight every urge in his body to collapse into a puddle of goo.

"So, where shall we start?" Eirin picked up her tea and started the conversation as though many words had already been exchanged between both parties, "Alex Whiter and Shina Aurora...You came here to Eientei because you believed that I had information relating to the Cosmos Drive, correct?"

"Well if you're getting straight into the nitty-gritty then tell us one thing..." Alex scrunched his eyes up and swung a finger accusingly at the doctor's face, "How in the HELL do you know our names? Cause last I checked, that's the one thing Remilia DIDN'T mention."

With a gentle 'coo', a small white pigeon fluttered down onto Eirin's shoulder, and she calmly fed it a few sand grains sized pellets while saying, "I don't get to see normal animals very often in Gensokyo, so when a pigeon so happened to fly through the barrier, I just had to make it my personal pet. He's got a very good eye for things, and is more loyal than most cats or dogs. I've decided to give it the name...Omoikane."

"...I don't get it..." Shina murmured with a blank stare at the pigeon, who seemed to be enjoying itself. After Eirin grazed the bird's head, it parted for the sky.

"She's saying she enchanted that pigeon to keep an eye on us ever since we arrived in Gensokyo." Alex commented, trying his _best_ not to sound pissed at his privacy being invaded.

"You picked up on that quickly. I'm...somewhat impressed." Eirin said with a humored half of a smile.

Shina picked up her cup and gave it a cautious whiff. The smell was a lot more pleasant than Remilia's brew, so she took a sip and was glad to find that it was sweet and easy to swallow. She held the cup in place and looked at Eirin, asking her hastily without trying to come across as desperate, "Miss Eirin...about the Cosmos Drive-"

"Like I said, you 'believed' that I had information regarding it. I regret to inform you that I know nothing about its location."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Alex sighed and crossed his arms to lean back.

"But I have _heard_ of it before, and how its supposedly a power that can rival the gods. Though...to think its been right under my nose this entire time." A rare sight to behold, Eirin hung her head mildly in shame.

"You're...familiar with Aurian culture?" Shina peered into Eirin's eyes, imagining the big brain beyond that as a vault to her species' mysterious past. Yet without her usual bow and arrow strung to fire, the doctor shot down the girl's high hopes in an instant.

"No, can't say I am. They always lived far out of my reach, even during my more immature years."

"But you know about me. Or rather...The Elemental Overlord, don't you?" Alex directed his hot as iron gaze into her cold, calculating pupils as she gleamed at him with a hint of intrigue.

"I doubt anyone else in this mansion could've erected a barrier specifically designed to cloud my element senses, even if they knew I was coming."

"Right you are." She said without hesitation.

"Seeing how this was all a clever ruse to lure me out here, you better have a good reason for wasting our time Eirin."

She answered one riddle with another two words long, "A test."

"...A test," Alex was unamused, but closed his eyes and moved things along after taking in a deep, lung-filling breath, "Ok...ok...and just what is this 'test'?"

"Well, if you'd just be patient for one second..." Eirin lifted her head and turned to the left, where a body set ablaze smashed into the fence and then blew up. Completely calm in her assessment of the situation in contrast to Alex and Shina's heartbeat skipping surprise, Eirin stood up and remarked, "Ah, Princess, I hope it's not presumptuous of me to ask for your assistance in a matter I'm dealing with."

Kaguya walked out of the smoke without a scratch and a pleasant smile, reciprocating Eirin's request with a delighted, "What is it you need Eirin?"

"You're sickin' your princess on us?" Alex blurted, as he almost let out a chuckle at how crude an act that was.

Mokou came diving down, stamping her feet hard enough against the ground to create a small eruption, then scowled right at Eirin and said, "Yeah what's the big idea you shady doc? Your princess' already busy dying to me!"

"Right now I'm in the lead 3 to 1..." Kaguya remarked, hiding a slick smile behind her sleeve.

"Only cause you've been playing dirty." Mokou scoffed.

"And who was the one who so savagely punched me in the face? Why, my face could've been ruined forever, and I'd never be able to wed," Kaguya pulled her body back as though readying an Oscar winning performance, complete with fake tears and a whimpering of, "Oh...boo-hoo..."

"Well if you're worried about your face that much I'll _gladly_ improve it!" Mokou turned and set her arms on fire, turning them as black as newly formed ash.

"Actually, I was hoping that you would work together with the Princess for this little test of mine." At that very moment, Eirin might as well have been laying her hand on the button to jump start the Cuban Missile Crisis.

All at the same time, with differing degrees of fury and curiosity, Alex, Mokou and Shina exclaimed, "WHAT?!"

Mokou dug her foot into the ground as the veins in her forehead looked ready to pop open like a geyser. Her eyes flaming red, she glared straight at the unflinching Eirin and threw her left arm towards Kaguya.

"You're crazy if you think I'd ever, ever, EVER, team-up with-"

"Actually, that sounds like fun." Kaguya remarked, her carefree attitude leaving Mokou dumbstruck and slackjawed.

"Huh...?"

Kaguya faced her mortal foe and pressed the tip of her sleeve against her lips, showing absolutely no animosity in her demeanor or words, "Mokou, I know you hate me with every fiber of your being...But its that same hatred that leads me to believe you're the only person in this world who understands me just as much if not more than Eirin. And...if that's the case, then wouldn't that make us the perfect partners?"

Mokou's cheeks turned bright red and she turned away in a huff. Kaguya giggled and continued, "For a Spell Card duel, of course."

"I know _exactly_ what you meant, stop thinking so damn highly of yourself." She tucked her hands into her pockets and peered over her shoulder. With a quick sigh she then said, "But I guess you're not wrong... _this_ time."

She face Eirin and told her bluntly, "Fine, I'll play along with your games this time doctor. So who do you want us to face?"

The doctor's smile creased out into an unnatural grin as she tilted her head over shoulder to look straight at Alex. It was at that moment he realized just what level of intelligence he was dealing with. Everything had been calculated down to the finest detail, from forcing Mokou to guide Alex and Shina to Eientei, to knowing when and where people would arrive at her mansion. This wasn't superhuman intelligence, it was borderline omniscience.

" _Ok, maybe its time to skidaddle."_ His body and mind weren't on the same wavelength, as even as he commanded himself to stand, his legs only twitched a little at the knees. He faced Eirin and felt a cold sweat form on his back, but she hadn't done anything to him.

"We haven't even discussed what's really important, Elemental Overlord," She whispered with a smile, "So I'd suggest you not be in a haste to leave."

She gestured her hands out towards their guests and said, "These two will be your opponents. You'll be facing each other at the same time."

"A duo Spell Card duel? Heh, guess all that experience recently's gonna pay off here..." Mokou rubbed the back of her head and exuded confidence, beaming some of that straight into Kaguya's face, "Don't worry Princess, your 'Master' will carry you through this duel."

"Actually, I have plenty of experience working with a partner thanks to Eirin," Kaguya remarked, popping the hot air in Mokou's head with a single finger, but letting her down easily, "But I'll listen to any pointers you may have!"

Shina stood right up and proclaimed, "Yay! I'm already getting to team up with Alex!"

Ignorant to Alex's unmotivated slump, she licked the side of her lips and pointed a finger gun out towards her opponent, "Ya better watch out! Yer fightin' against the power of love here!"

Alex stood right up blushing red and reached back to lower her hand, pointing a finger up and whispering to the others, "Give us just one moment..."

He turned around and planted his hands firmly on her shoulders as he gave her his utter focus, "Ok Shina, here's the plan."

"Isn't it exciting Alex?" She closed her eyes and was grinning like a child after Christmas, "We're going to be blendin' our Danmaku together! It'll be like putting whipped cream on top of jalapenos! Or eating peanut butter with sriracha sauce!"

Her enthusiasm was a delight to behold, and that just pained his soul to have to crush it, "Well...not this time."

"...Awwwww, how come?" She took rejection pretty well, all things considered.

"I think it'd be better if we fought them one at a time. Danmaku doesn't hurt, but it does wear a person down over time. So while one of us attacks, the other will stand back and pay attention to their Spell Card's pattern."

"Oh! That's a pretty good plan!" Shina nodded a few times in quick succession, "Way better than mine was!"

"I have my moments, not to brag or nuthin'." Alex rubbed the bottom of his nose and smirked. Shina couldn't help but giggle and reply, "No comment."

Eirin whistled to herself off to the side as the two turned around to face the immortal duo, who hadn't budged an inch the whole time.

"What's taking so long? If you're ready to fight, then lets fight!" Mokou proclaimed, her skin itching with flames.

Alex wreathed himself in flames and caught Mokou by surprise, the matched her spunk with a premature declaration of, "What, you want to lose that quickly? Cause we're more than ready to take you on!"

"Now you're speakin' my language! Lets get this blood-boiling brawl started!" Mokou and Alex leapt high into the air and rammed each other's heads hard enough to make the flames around their bodies burst out in a shockwave. After scowling energetically, they pushed away and joined up next to their partners thirty feet back, who let out some rather humdrum sighs.

"I'll take the lead while you scope their Danmaku out Shina," Alex glanced over his shoulder and stared her in the eyes, "Got it?"

"Piece of cake!" She gave an approving thumbs-up and stuck the tip of her tongue out.

"You're gonna fight us one at a time?" Mokou raised her brows and extended her left hand out, creating a card wrapped in a white hot ember that left her palm searing red.

"You shouldn't underestimate this partnership! Our grudge'll make that love of yours look like a pitiful ember!"

Kaguya held her hand up to the flame, letting her skin burn away under the undeniable ferocity held within it as she bonded the power of a shapeless eternity into the Spell Card, "Yes...An immature love cannot even hold a candle to this bond of hatred that shall not die even as the universe crumbles around us."

"After you, _princess_."

"Oh no, I insist you do the honors." Kaguya waved her fingers out a couple times.

The two shared a laugh and then sandwiched the Spell Card between their palms, proclaiming with an undying vigor, "Rising Phoenix over the Moon!"

A bright pearl visage of the full moon wreathed in the fanciful wings and mane of a fiery red Chinese Phoenix appeared behind the two. They didn't let their hands make contact and split up immediately, with a rune appearing at Kaguya's back as she waved her sleeve out and commanded seven magic sphere to line up in a curved row in the center of them both.

Alex couldn't wait for the first Danmaku to come and covered his right arm with electricity to whip it out, sending a wave of it to strike both immortals. They took the brunt of the assault without flinching, and Kaguya immediately snapped her fingers to command the spheres to attack all at once. Each one unleashed a different colored burst of diamond jewels, all their colors lining up perfectly to form a rainbow.

Alex flew to the left and found a big enough gap between the bullets to slip right through, but as he did he got a face full of five or so fiery pellets bundled together near the tip of a stream extending from Mokou's body. There were two more streams of similar length to the left and right, all of them two feet apart.

Dazed for a moment, Alex grumbled and rubbed his face, pulling back while peppering the immortals with some of his own fireballs. While keeping an eye on Mokou's stationary bullets, Alex hadn't noticed the rainbow jewels were on the rebound, many of them coming right at him.

Right as one stuck out in the corner of his eye, Mokou's bullets began to disperse to join the jewels in covering a large enough space to surround Alex. The boy swerved his body around, kicking his right leg up and committing to a sideways somersault, but his lanky efforts to dodge just wound up getting him scraped by dozens of Danmaku.

In five seconds those bullets were gone, and Alex caught his breath by swiping his arms straight down and firing an X-shaped gale at the immortals. Neither of them felt like flinching, and began the next wave of their assault. Kaguya gesture at the spheres, who flashed with a pristine silvery light before firing a thin laser each in random directions. Through sheer happenstance, one smashed Alex in the gut and knocked him a couple inches back, forcing air out of his lungs.

At the same time, Mokou launched three large bird-shaped effigies made out light red Danmaku. Thanks to Kaguya's attack, Alex was out of the bird's path, but not its aftermath. For a second later, the effigies exploded and released a circular flurry of dark red bullets, with Alex caught up in the edge of one blast. Shina had to back off too, but maintained a collected focus on the pattern.

" _There's just too many goddamn bullets..."_ Alex buckled his teeth down and scoffed, "Ah, to hell with this, one wave's enough..."

"Shina! I'm tagging out!" He zipped straight back beside her as she perked her eyes up and looked at him.

"Already?! But I haven't-"

"You'll do fine!" Alex patted her on the back to push her right towards open fire, giving the laziest thumbs-up of encouragement right after, "I'll cheer you on from here!"

"Doggone it Alex!" She yelled while just barely slipping between the rainbow Danmaku. She then slammed down on the Gunslinger Drive and came out with pistols' abalzing on both immortals.

"You're makin' all my love talk sound like a load-a bull!" She dove to the right to escape Mokou's spreading bullets, only to get many of Kaguya's jewels scraping off her back. She knelt down and exchanged her peashooters for a cocked double-barrel shotgun.

"You can do it sweetheart! I love you!" Alex yelled, getting very cheeky even though his words were genuine.

"Not! Helpin'!" Shina, on the other hand, was livid that he pulled this kinda stunt, leaving it hard for her to focus.

She squinted as the bullets dispersed and the spheres prepared their lasers. She had gotten a chance, at the least, to memorize how long they were and plot her spacing accordingly. So the very moment the lasers flashed out, Shina triggered her shtogun and let the recoil carry her to safety, all while a string of bubbled bursts were unloaded upon the immortals.

The left wing of Mokou's central bird clipped Shina in the hip and then burst behind her while she got stunned. Her hands quickly started to shake, forcing her to squeeze tighter.

As the pattern cycled to the beginning, Shina slanted her brows with a bull-like grunt and switched off to SMGs in order to better bombard her foes with bullets. She swung her body sideways to get between Mokou's bullets then floated away, unloading her guns' entire clips upon Mokou.

With a tense wince and tingle in the spine, Shina jolted back before the rebounding jewels closed her off. A couple of Mokou's bullets got to her before that, however.

"Focus...focus!" She licked the side of her mouth and lined her arms adjacent to each other, lengthening the barrels of her weapons until they resembled small cannons. She quickly took aim and fired a short beam that pounded into Mokou with the force of a sledgehammer.

Mokou grit her teeth as she was budged back, with Kaguya throwing some casual shade her way, "My my, you don't look so good..."

"I'm fine! I don't need you worrying about me!" Mokou prepared to attack in unison with Kaguya's lasers as her body sweated pure fire.

Shina flipped her smoking left gun back and held harder onto the other. Her vision wavered, a costly problem in this kind of duel, and led her to underestimate where the lasers would fire right as he launched hers.

Both her and Mokou took the full brunt of the attacks, but while Shina just got winded the immortal's reaction was a lot more violent. In tune with hers and Kaguya's Danmaku, Mokou exploded, forcing her to reform right in eye sight of her humored 'partner'.

"This just isn't your day, Mokou..."

"No kidding..." She growled bitterly to herself as she started to pant and sweat.

"See? Not a problem at all!" Alex proclaimed, forcing the enthusiasm through. Shina then laid her arms down, each of them stiff and heavy like lead.

"They...still gotta have one more card..." She murmured with mild duress in her voice. She glanced back at Alex, the weakness in her eyes begging him to swap out.

Biting his lower lip, he spoke up without thinking, "J-Just hang on a little longer! We can win!"

"You sure about that? Cause the worst is yet to come!" Mokou waved her hand up like before to summon a sparklier Spell Card, their Last Word.

Shina gasped then focused back on her enemies, while her will to continue left Alex feeling like a real piece of shit.

" _Damn it all Alex...What the HELL are you doing?!"_

"Prepare yourselves, love birds, for a dazzling display of fireworks more brilliant than the radiant moon!" Kaguya moved her hand over the Spell Card and smiled.

Alex stamped his foot down and yelled at himself, _"You cowardly bastard! Stop hesitating...and do something!"_

 _Next Time: The Infernal Eternity_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Flight of the Bamboo Phoenix**

Down on the ground, Eirin stood where she had remained before. Her eyes were like microscopes observing details down the smallest molecule, while her brain recorded those details faster than even the strongest supercomputer. With such ease of thought, not even the fleet feet of her apprentice had slipped under her radar.

"How long are you planning on standing around here, Udongein?"

The rabbit's ears perked up over the fence and she rounded the corner, ending up directly in front of Eirin's stern line of sight. She kept her cool and said, "The rabbits have doubled their efforts to make up for lost time. We're right on schedule for the festival."

Eirin closed her eyes then slowly pivoted her head back up. Reisen blinked a couple times, for the years she spent with her master clued her in on the subtleties of her expression. Thus, the rabbit quietly looked back up at the Spell Card duel unfolding between duos familiar and unfamiliar to her.

What troubled her the most about this though she spoke up without a lick of hesitation, "...Master, did you... _do_ something to Mokou?"

"No." She replied right away.

"But-"

"Even those whose hatred stretch across eternity can unite under common interests..." Eirin peered down from the corner of her eye and remarked, "And they aren't the only ones curious, no?"

Reisen's lips sank with an undeniable cause for concern as she looked at the unknown newcomers and asked, "Master Eirin...who...who are those two?"

Eirin put a little more attention upon her apprentice and told her, "I know little about the girl, but the boy? The boy has a particularly interesting soul inside of him..."

"He houses a soul? How is that possible?"

"That's not important. What is, however, is the identity of that soul," Eirin closed her eyes and looked to a past so far away yet at the same time as close as yesterday, "You were born after this name became commonly feared amongst the Lunarians, but...Have you ever heard of the 'Elemental Overlord'?"

"Ummm...can't say I have?"

"That's because on the moon, he's referred to by his pseudonym..." Eirin's mouth spread out into a chilling smile as she calmly spoke the dreaded name, "The Butcher of Sin."

Reisen's body shivered and she cuddled herself as though she was cold. The sensation passed in an instant, though to her the effects lingered for longer. She turned to Eirin, her pupils the size of needle tips, and said, "T-The Butcher of Sin? H-He's the one who-"

"Ah, so the Elders turned that moment of history into little more than a boogeyman tale for the youngsters. How shameful..." Eirin spoke up to drown out Reisen's fright, all while shaking her head and clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

She then laid her arms down before the waist and remarked, "Just keep watching, Udongein. Let your curiosity guide your every move and thought, even if it burdens your emotions."

Reisen did not question a word of her master's advice and looked up with a gaze that was almost snow white. Around this point in time, Mokou and Kaguya were about to activate their Last Word...

"Last Word! Flight of the Bamboo Phoenix!" The two declared as they repeated the same song and dance with this Spell Card as they did the first. But as they parted to their respective sides in solitude, the effigy of the Phoenix began to stir. It was set ablaze in an inferno that could devour the whole forest in an instant, its wings folding over and blanketing the moon.

Shina panted and tried to recover to the best of her ability, and after a tense swallow stood up and took aim at the immortals. Before the first Danmaku could be fired, she bombarded them both with her own spray of bullets, her aim rocky and uncoordinated. Many bullets grazed her opponent's body, but some just flew straight off towards the sky never to be seen again.

She pulled her arms back and upgraded to a pair of shotguns. The phoenix let out a screech that shook her body and then spread its wings, having left its scars upon the moon. As its wings spread a full width of fifty feet, a flurry of smaller fiery birds flew out from its awe-inspiring grasp. The birds were no bigger than Mokou and Kaguya, their wingspans ten feet in width. Acting as a pseudo-skeleton were rods of bamboo, all of them quickly burning to ash. Yet, it was that same bamboo that added an extra layer of divinity to the already god-like foul, for as it burned the flames grew brighter, sparkling like comets streaking across a pitch black night sky.

Four birds on each side swept the skies back and forth in a curve, offering their bodies as protection for their dysfunctional masters. Shina took aim with her shotguns and fired the same bursts of energy as before, but a couple of them were swallowed up by the birds. Now as far left and right as the wingspan of the larger bird, the tinier birds flapped their wings and each sent out a spherical barrage of blue paper seals.

It was a close pinch, but Shina push forward past the seals without getting hit by a single one. But now the birds were edging in closer, and she could literally feel the heat off their wings. There was another wave of birds incoming behimd them, doubling the amount of paper seals flying around when they stalled mid-flight. Shina backed off and managed to slip between them again, but noticed that dozens of seals came dangerously close to touching her this time.

Then, as though things weren't tight enough as is, a third wave of birds emerged to hunt. The first wave was now inches away from Shina, forcing her to suck her gut in and press forward between them before she was pincered in. There was enough of a gap between waves of birds for her to linger around, but she had restricted herself to horizontal movement in the process.

The seals surrounded her in a tight knit cage, and all she could do was minimize the number of hits. Her already weary body suffered worse for it, but she took advantage of the opening provided to blasted the two immortals with her shotgun blasts. Her arms dropped right after and she panted, sweat dropping off her lips and landing on the tip of the tongue.

She had to go on the move right away and back off as the second wave got closer. The first wave flickered out of existence, thinning the web that she had to weave through. She fired another attack, but this one she knew was weaker in power. She took more seals to the chest and back but swallowed the pain and kept pressing on. Nudging past the third wave, she raised her guns up and took another shot, but missed by a good foot or so.

The birds were all gone, but there was a tension present that the worst was yet to come. The ravaged symbol of the moon pulsed with pure lunar energy, and Kaguya reached her hand out towards it with a delicate longing touch. The moon swallowed the flames of the phoenix and began to vibrate terribly, as though ready to split apart.

The hairs on Alex's arms stuck up on end, and Shina seemed all the unaware of what was happening. Right as one massive crack split down the center of the moon, Alex screamed at the top of his lungs to overpower the roar of the phoenix, "SHINA! MOVE LEFT, NOW!"

"W-Wha..." So out of breath that she swore his voice was a fever dream, Shina's body nevertheless obeyed the command all on it's own and flew limply to the left. The moon burst wide open and unleashed a cone of silver flames upon everything in it's path. Alex flew up, while Shina _just_ made it to the corner near Mokou, only one of two safe spots.

The skies trembled for a good couple seconds until the flames died out, the ghostly embers left behind scattering to the four wings. Shina took a quick shot at Mokou and then flew away before the embers reached her. The moon restored to its normal pristine, where the Phoenix left its imprint once more and started anew its pattern.

Alex blinked a few times and thought, _"Wait...I knew that was coming?"_

He lowered back into place and held his arms out, waiting for the flaming birds to come out again. This time he paid closer attention with eyes wide open, noticing that he could feel where the Danmaku was going ahead of schedule.

" _This Danmaku has elemental energy...? Then that means..."_ He slanted his brows and flew straight out, laying her hand softly on Shina's left shoulder and then shunting her back with as gentle a touch he could manage. She widened her eyes and felt all the stress in her body vanishing instantly, instead replaced with happiness.

Alex cracked his knuckles and bit his teeth down with a battle ready grin, then set his arms ablaze with raw electricity, "Take a rest Shina, I got it from here."

She breathed in deep and looked at his back. He exuded so much confidence that she felt hers being refreshed too. He faced down the incoming Danmaku and squeezed his fingers in twice, condensing the electricity into the hands. The fiery birds appeared to slow down, allowing Alex to calculate the very moment they'd leave an open enough gap of attack.

He punched his arms up and struck the immortals with lightning bolts, then swung them down to refill them with electricity, having enough time to smite them once more before the paper seals went flying. He hovered back and turned sideways, letting them slip on by all while raising his left arm up.

"Focus just one of 'em down Alex!" Shina yelled out.

"Got it!" He swung the arm at Kaguya and pounded her with two quick lightning bolts, then concentrated on the the two waves of birds and outmaneuvered their pinching movements. He did take into consideration that what he's doing might be cheating, but his desire to win overshadowed it.

Alex kept up with the lightning bolts between sweeps, and managed to avoid every seal with utter ease. All the while, he had the biggest shit-eating grin that he _wanted_ Eirin to see. After the three waves of Danmaku ran their course, Alex centered right in front of the moon as the laser was prepared and shook his arms free of even the tiniest sparks.

The skies trembled and he licked his lips, swinging his right arm and leg back as a fireball formed around the fingertips. Shina blinked, swearing she was seeing things as she asked, "Ummm...Alex, you ARE gonna dodge that, right?"

With a quiet, cocky chuckle he let the approaching flames glisten in his eyes and continued to fuel his own. Shina's pupils shrank as she caught the signs of overconfidence and tried to nip them in the bud with a raising of her voice, "Just cause you're on a roll doesn't mean it's wise to tank a laser!"

"Don't worry about it! I'm only taking advantage of the opportunity your stubbornness gave me!" Alex proclaimed.

Shina just remained blank-faced as she high-tailed it higher up and the laser fired. Alex stood in the center of it, his body vibrating as though amidst a city-wide earthquake. Hot hurricane winds wanted to sweep him away, but he still faced down the brunt of it pushing his burning palm out towards Kaguya's direction.

"This is..." The very moment the flames died out and he was surrounded in deadly embers, his whole arm shot out like a launched torpedo, the bones clattering within as he pounded the air, " **OUR** victory!"

The sphere of fire collapsed to a molecular level and then exploded in a massive beam of fire that annihilated Kaguya's body so fast she didn't even blink. The effigy of the mighty phoenix broke apart and dispersed into white hot ashes in the wind, while the moon crumbled and became a glittering snow. The canopy of the forest became scorched a mile across, while Mokou stood by and let out an impressed whistle, though she was more or less doing so to mock her nemesis for their swift demise.

Alex lowered his smoking arm and left not even a trace of malice in his behavior as he stood up, clapped the smoke off, and said, "And that's game..."

Kaguya reformed a couple seconds later, brushing the left sleeve of her peerless dress up against her mouth while giggling, "Oh no, it seems as though we have lost."

She swung towards Mokou and saw a little irritation burrowing itself into her forehead, seeing that as a prime moment to tease her, "You should have pulled your weight a little more, Mokou."

"What?!" Mokou swung her head back and declared, "I was the one doing all the work! You barely contributed to our Spell Cards!"

"My Danmaku was keeping our opponents on the ropes. Your garish flames were too predictable." Kaguya's eyes gleamed with the authority more expected of her prestige, and she looked at Mokou like she would a commoner.

Mokou flicked her left hand out, throwing an explosive fireball into Kaguya's face that took out her entire head, all while roaring in frustration, "That's it princess! Partnership over, time for you to die!"

Kaguya's head reformed and she kept her sleeve right where it was, whisking the other one out as though a fan was held within it, "If you're so eager to lose some more, then I suppose I shall oblige."

The two started bombarding each other with Danmaku, killing each other in a matter of seconds. They went at it like rabid dogs the moment they reformed, and all Alex could do was cross his arms, look away, and try to wash his hands of this nonsense.

" _Weirdos..."_

Upon noticing Shina recooperating quickly, Alex floated on over to her. He knew he'd have to face the music sooner or later, so decided upon the former. Starting off with a rough 'Ahem!' to get her attention, he rubbed the back of his eyes and couldn't stand to look her in the eyes as he told her, "I'm...sorry you had to put up with that for so long."

"Well, maybe ya _coulda_ jumped in just a liiiiiitle bit sooner than ya did..." Shina deactivated her Drive and waved the left hand out, "What was up with that by the way?"

"...What was up with what?"

"You bowing out so early."

"Oh that." Alex widened his eyes and let out a gasp of air as though beginning a sentence. He choked, however, on what should've been an easy five word sentence.

" _I didn't want to lose..."_ That's it, that's all he had to say andShina would understand AND believe him. Instead he made things awkward by pursing and smacking his lips a couple times while she left him feeling exposed with her blank, anticipating stare.

"Well...I just..." He swung his head up and smiled, "Didn't want to take all the fun away from you!"

"Huh?" She blinked twice as he presented her a guiltless look in his eyes and continued to weave a terrible lie, "We're only going to be facing these guys once. I'd be a total asshole if I hogged all the fun for myself."

He crossed his arms and gave a firm nod of the head, secure in his powers of deception. Shina's eyelids fluttered faster and she began to itch the side of her face with a grin, laying her feelings clear out in the open, "Well...I guess it _was_ a lotta fun, if tense."

She pressed her hands together next to her chest and winked, "But can ya give me a heads-up next time ya wanna swap out?"

"Sure, absolutely!" He proclaimed in haste, just glad that she believed him. His heart grew heavier as she turned away still wearing that cute smile of hers. He gripped the part of his shirt near his heart, and it felt cold underneath.

" _...I'm sorry Shina, I'll make up for this embarrassment later...I swear it."_

Without a care in her heart she swung her right arm overhead and exclaimed, "Hey teach! Did we pass ya test with flying colors?!"

Alex's heart got a brief shock and then he tilted to the right. Eirin's face hinted at neither pride or disappointment as she hollered up, "Come on down and find out!"

" _This better have been worth our time Yagokoro."_ He tucked his hands into the pockets and went down after Shina, whose anticipation dropped her like a stone in water.

She stumbled forward a couple steps to end up on the edge of the porch, then faced Eirin with a glimmer in her eyes. The doctor didn't say a word until the very moment Alex's feet touched the ground, but what she had to say was very surprising.

"Udongein, what do you think of our guests after that battle?" She closed her eyes and left her guests' focus all on the poor rabbit, who was forced into the spotlight without preparation.

"What? Why m-"

"Answer the question Udongein." Eirin's voice got colder and stern, and the very atmosphere changed from spring to winter for a moment after.

Reisen shivered and lazily crossed her arms above the waist, giving herself some time to gather her thoughts. It wasn't easy with Alex and Shina looking at her with differing degrees of anticipation, but she managed somehow.

"Well...Well..." All it would've taken is a chalkboard behind her to perfectly recreate the horrible anxities of high school classes. Eirin, the impatient teacher, shook her head and delivered her apprentice salvation in the form of a reworded question.

"Ok...How about this? Say there was an object that could elevate a mortal to the realm of the gods. Would you trust this girl with that power?"

The question surprised Alex more than it did Shina, who assumed to himself, _"Wait a second...Did she actually know where the Cosmos Drive was this whole time?"_

Reisen responded faster, but was puzzled still all the while, "I guess there'd be no harm letting her have it...I-I don't think she's got a bad bone in her body? Honestly, she's _too_ disgustingly sweet."

"Interesting. And the boy? Does he deserve his power?" Eirin didn't miss a beat in her words, but none of that was surprising anymore.

Alex quietly groaned as he realized the truth behind this test, _"Oh christ, this is more of that 'judge of character' bullshit."_

"Ummm..." Reisen's deep groan of hesitation was as subtle as Mokou's hatred of Kaguya.

Alex stamped his foot down to break the porch while he exclaimed, "Alright I get the point!"

Fear of Eirin's wrath meant nothing to him now. He swung around, got in close to her, and rammed a finger right up below the center of that smug little nose of hers and said, "Ok you lunatic doc, enough stalling!"

He pressed the finger up until it bent back, trying and failing to intimidate a person who has outlived far too many terrors to start getting shooken up by some upstart whippersnapper. She didn't lay a finger on him in retaliation, and let him vent.

"Either tell us the _real_ reason you called us here, or I'll shove my fist so far up your ass that even YOU won't be able to surgically remove it!"

Reisen's jaw dropped and threatened to detach. There was only one other person in Gensokyo who had the balls to stand up to Eirin before now, but their method of handling her was subtle, frightening, and planned to the finest detail. Alex was straightforward and aggressive, like a thug attempting to mug a bystander. The rabbit just stood there and did nothing, believing her master more than capable of handling this ungrateful miscreant.

The doctor's expression even started to change, with the widening of her smile doing far, _far_ more to shake Alex up than anything he could throw her way. She closed her eyes as the boy's hand started to lower, and with no emotion in her voice she asked one simple question, "Are you done?"

His throat dried up even as he gulped a huge wad of saliva, and the tension around Eirin started to affect Shina too. She backed off the porch and bowed to Alex, telling him in a casual but not regretful tone, "Well...it was nice knowing ya Alex."

His heart pumped against his chest, and he imagined Eirin as a towering giant with him just barely taller than her toes. With teeth grit tight, he stared right at this indomintable monstrosity and wheezed out, "I'm...not afraid of you."

"...Good!" Her mood lightened up in an instant, and the tension deflated so fast that Alex's knees were left on the verge of collapse.

"G-Good? What the hell do ya mean good?!" Alex stammered.

" _Now_ you've passed the test."

"...Ok, I repeat...What?!"

"Udongein, can you please escort this girl around Eientei for a little bit while I have a talk with the boy?"

Eirin's one-track, manipulative mind just led the boy to draw one pitiable conclusion regarding her, _"I guess the old hag's gotta get her rocks off somehow..."_

But more importantly, he had to put his foot down on her request, "No no no. If you've got anything to say about me, then Shina deserves to hear it too."

"Alex..." Shina was taken aback by the gesture of good-will, which served as a comfy cushion after how rough things were getting.

The doctor closed her eyes and gave a nod of acceptance, "Very well...Then do whatever you wish Udongein. I can handle things just fine on my own."

Reisen split right then and there, not even leaving dust in her wake. Eirin shrugged and turned for the shutters, glancing back just to say, "If you'd give me a moment..."

She headed inside, and after some silence the two plop back onto their cushions. Immediately after that, Eirin returned and sat down too. Alex didn't even get a chance to tuck his hands into his pockets and instead settled on holding his knees.

"Alright. Like you said, no more stalling," Eirin remarked, staring Alex right in the eyes as what she said next was the utter truth, "The reason I did all this was because I wanted to gauge your worth as people."

"Yeah, I already figured that. But why? You're a genius. You should be able to tell what a person's like without all this ridiculous setup."

"I may be the smartest person in the solar system, but I'm also a Lunarian...Not a human." Eirin admitted with surprising humility.

"The Princess and I were exiled to the Earth long ago for committing the sin of creating immortality. We spent centuries hiding from our people, who wished to deliver a greater punishment after I killed the emissaries who wanted to bring the unwilling Princess back home. To hide ourselves from our pursuers, I easily created an endless night in Gensokyo to seal the passage to the moon, but in doing so drew the attention of the shrine maiden and her colleagues. Needless to say, my spell was broken, and our existence had been exposed to all of Gensokyo."

"I presumed afterwards that we could live amongst its residents by claiming to be humans...But a certain, troublesome woman taught me a very valuable lesson about what it truly means to be human," She opened her eyes and seemed to reflect upon those events in a pleasant manner as she spoke, "To be human...is to fear the unknown."

"Ever since you've arrived here in Gensokyo, you've been too lax...You didn't even bat an eye when the Princess died and revived before your very eyes. So I think its time..." She reached into a fold underneath her chest and pulled out a carefully placed glass vial no bigger than a thumb and pinched it before her face. Inside the vial was something nasty pulsing with a dark violet energy. Whatever it was, the mere sight of it made Alex's heart race.

"That I inject you with a little bit of that fear..." Eirin's smile turned crass and mischievous.

"Where...where the hell did you get that..." Alex wheezed quietly. A cold pair of hands entangled his heart and suffocated his brain, digging in like thorns of black ice. Shina shivered the longer she looked at the vial, finding it more repulsive than the most rotten, dirty pile of decayed trash she could imagine.

Alex swung forward and slammed his hands down to crack the table, "I said where the HELL did you get that?!"

"A-Alex...?!" Shina stammered, the sight of the boy's beastly expression fooling her into thinking he had been replaced by someone else entirely.

Eirin faced Shina and asked her, "Shina...what do you feel when you look at this?"

"...Emptiness...Depression...The antithesis of everything we hold near and dear in this world..." She gasped without another second's thought, and with a hand clapped over her mouth she murmured, "No way...is...is that really what the Anti-Genesis Theorem looks like?"

Alex glanced back and eased up, his scrambled mind at a loss for words. Shina tilted her head around, as though trying to make certain she was right in her assumption.

But once he sat back down, it was Alex who confirmed her suspicions with an admittedly disbelieving disposition, "Shina, how in the bloody blue blazes could you _possibly_ know about the Anti-Genesis Theorem?"

"How do **I**? How do _you_? The Anti-Genesis Theorem was a creation of the Aurian Ten Sages..." The two, colliding in a crossroad of confusion, turned their sights on Eirin.

"So _what_ was that earlier about Aurians? Eh, Eirin?" Alex's nostrils puffed with steam as he began rhythmically tapping his fingers on his elbows.

"I meant what I said. I've never met a single Aurian until now. So...this is a rare chance for _me_ to be enlightened with new information." She turned to Shina at the same time as Alex, and though their respective gazes inviting nervousness throughout her body she hastily said what she knew.

"W-Well...Our history books say that the Ten Sages created the Anti-Genesis Theorem as a deterrent against the Elemental Overlord. It was imprinted onto two people...The Dark King...and my mother."

"Your mother? So...you also have it?" Alex said with plenty of cause for concern.

"No no no no no!" She insisted with many waves of the hand before her flustered face, "It's not a bloodline thing Alex. Its more like..."

"A magic glyph." Eirin interjected.

"Yeah! A magic glyph!"

"...Look, I'll be frank with you Shina, this isn't my first rodeo with this piece of shit 'glyph', so it'd be nice to FINALLY know why it only hurts _me_." Alex closed his eyes and leaned back, trying to cool down.

"There's...really nothing in our history books about how it was made. I reckon Gravitus didn't want anyone to try and copy the formula..."

"Why? It's just an Elemental Overlord counter."

"Your line of thinking is narrow, young Overlord," Eirin wiggled the vial around and the ghastly energy stirred, "This isn't just a deterrent for elemental powers...Its also a gateway to many other forbidden powers."

"The reason its called the Anti-Genesis Theorem? It is because this formula's very existence is a complete, blasphemous perversion of God's creation of the universe. The building blocks of the universe...Nature, Water, Wind, Electricity, Stone, Ice, Fire, Light, Dark...and Life. All these fundamentals have been so thoroughly twisted and tainted that by all means reality itself should've rejected this formula's existence. But ironically, its that same unified corruption that pieced this whole puzzle together, and allows it to exist."

Shina's eyes widened, both in awe and with fear, as she found a lot more respect for her ancestors, "The Ten Sages were amazing!"

"Not really..." Eirin calmly noted, clutching the vial in her hand and putting it down by her hip, "I could create it myself, but the risks far outweigh the benefits."

"This glyph brings suffering to those forced to bear it...I'd never use this on a living being, even in my crueler youth."

The atmosphere grew melancholy, and so Alex quickly diverted the topic back on course, "That's all fine and dandy, but that doesn't answer my first question."

He widened his glare towards Eirin, "How the hell did you get a hold of this formula Eirin?"

"...I'm under no obligation to tell you that." She perked her lips up with a smile.

"Bullshit. You don't just happen upon something like that taking a stroll in this forest." Alex scowled and crossed his arms.

"...Would you believe me if I told you I got it from the throat of a sick Youkai?" She gave a humored response, and with a gruff 'Fine' Alex decided pressing her was a waste of time. Ironically, she had just told him the truth.

"Then...can you please hand it over?" Shina asked. Alex turned slowly at her to stare, his cold heart warmed by her initiative.

Eirin looked at her too, causing her to flinch but not back down, "Alex isn't a threat to anyone. I know he's rough around the edges, but..."

"You don't have to speak up regarding the validity of his character. I already know he can be trusted." Eirin waved her hand down a couple times then laid it on her kneecap.

"You're different than the original Elemental Overlord. 'Rough around the edges' might be putting it lightly, but...As far as I can tell, you're still a human."

Alex's heart skipped a better. Never in a million years could he have expected the Brain of the Moon to compliment him like that. So, in turn, he hoped that she would hear him out on something that had been bugging him this whole time.

"Eirin...Being human is why I've been so frustrated ever since coming to Gensokyo," He glared straight into her eyes and looked more exhausted than anything, "Humans don't live long. Shina and I have already spent almost two years trying to find this Cosmos Drive. We've been toyed with, led astray and hurt so many times that its ridiculous. All I want at this point is to get Shina home safe and sound, and not waste time catering to the whims of Gensokyo's residents."

Shina's heart went aflutter, the blood rushing into her cheeks as she turned away from Alex and pressed her hands against them. Eirin closed her eyes and shuffled her legs back, leaning upon the curve of her hip before gesturing the right arm out.

"There's some advice I want to impart unto you, which had been passed on to me by another long, long ago..." She got into a recollective mood pretty easily, her voice getting smooth and relaxing like a librarian's.

"There was a time when the universe was much smaller, and traveling to other worlds was as simple as knowing how to jump. Gods battled gods for control of their territory, and I was amongst them. But there was one territory we couldn't encroach...Even the angels of that world were stronger than us. One such angel defeated me without so much as a scratch, but showed me mercy. He saw this war hungry child as pitiful and narrow-minded, and thought he could save me with his sagely advice."

"What did he say?" Shina interrupted, engrossed by this ancient tale.

"...The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world."

Shina had to sealed her lips extra tight to avoid letting a gasp slip through, then looked over at Alex. He was dumbfounded, but let Eirin continue unimpeded.

"It took millions of years before I finally understood what that dead old bastard was getting at. If I had never escaped the bonds of war, I never would've formed a bond with the Princess. If I didn't come to Gensokyo, I never would've come to see humans for who they truly are beyond their sinful desires. Being the smartest or being the strongest doesn't mean anything if that's all you strive for. You have to live every day like its a new experience, for there are no second chances."

She raised her head and laughed, "So when you tell me that your experience so far has been a waste of time, I just have to sit back and laugh at you. You've learned how play Danmaku, gotten to spend time with vampires, and learned a little bit more about the universe from yours truly."

"How is that a waste?"

"..." Alex closed his eyes and tensed up. He tried to recollect his journey with Shina up until this point, but no matter how deep he went there was only a couple things he could take away. His relief at leaving every world...and falling in love with Shina. Nothing's changed in almost two years. And he _hated_ it. That nagging feeling of emptiness chewed away at his mind, and drove a terrible voice to speak up for him.

" _Burn...EVERYTHING to dust...Make this universe as empty as us..."_

He stood right up with goosebumps on his skin and turned away from the porch. Shina reached up and whispered his name, but he just tucked his hands into his pockets and said, "Eirin...keep the formula."

"...In exchange, I want you to make me a promise...If I ever become a threat to Gensokyo, then you have to be the one to stop me," He clenched his fists and raised his head up high, "But I'm not going to become a threat to anyone. I _will_ change."

He then wiggled his stiff shoulders around and said, "Come on Shina, lets get out of here."

She stood up and ran after him, her expression muddied with confusion. She clasped her hands together and mouthed a 'Thank you' to Eirin before rounding the corner and vanishing from sight. The doctor stood up and clutched the eerie vial around her left fingers, and parted the shutters with a single wave of the hand.

"...So that's the Phoenix of Destruction? Hmmm...looks you've been paranoid for nothing." She shook her head and entered the mansion, arrogantly certain in her lofty presumptions.

Walking out of the forest at that point was a breeze. The two just went in a straight line for a couple hundred feet, and they found themselves on a dirt road in the middle of the forest's two halves. Now freed from the mystifying spell that separated Eientei from the rest of Gensokyo, Shina leaned her head over Alex's shoulder and saw him deep in thought.

She smiled softly and whispered into his ear, "I'm really proud of ya Alex."

"Haaa...well, don't get too ahead of yourself Shina," He leaned his head back and looked to the sunny skies, "I'm not going to change right away. You're still going to be dealing with this same old grumpy-"

A black and white streak sped through the sky faster than a jetplane, and a thick bundle of paper smacked square into Alex's face a second later. Shina's lips puckered as she fought back the urge to laugh, while Alex's face contorted into something too obscene to be seen by human eyes. His eyes glowed brightly, literally burning holes through the paper.

Shina, however, caught a strange slip of golden paper sticking out from the side and plucked it out before it was an unfortunate victim of Alex's laser vision. As he blew and coughed the ashes away, Shina unfolded the paper and took it a sneak peek at its contents.

"Uh-oh..." She slapped a hand against the side of her face and shook her head.

Alex turned his head with narrow eyes and asked, "Uh-oh? An uh-oh from you's never a good sigh."

"Well..." She handed the letter over for Alex's perusal, but not without warning, "Lets just say ya'll be putting Eirin's advice into practice sooner than later..."

He snatched the letter up and embraced himself with a sigh before reading it off, "Dear Elemental Overlord (And friend)...You are cordially invited to our shrine atop the Youkai Mountain. As a fellow warrior of renown, I figure there is plenty the two (three)[four] of us can talk about. So please, if you have time to spare, come and visit. I'll (we'll) be sure to make it worth your while. Sincerely, Kanako Yasaka (Suwako Moriya) [Sanae Kochiya]. P.S. Ignore the stuff lazily inked in by my fellow occupants."

"Well, what do you think?" He looked to Shina for advice.

"Weeeeell...the Moriya Shrine's ground we'll hafta cover eventually if we want to find the Cosmos Drive..."

"Yeah, might as well knock it off the checklist," He burned the letter to ashes and looked annoyed, "But at least Eirin had the courtesy to use my real name..."

"Its pretty cool your title's recognized all the way out here though!" Shina tried to put a positive spin on Alex's grievances, but he shot it right down.

"Yeah, but not because of anything **I** did," He crossed his arms and looked back up at the sky. The horizons were vast, but so were all the possibilities for him to explore, "It doesn't matter though...Someday I _will_ make my own accomplishments, with my _own_ power."

 _Next Time: A Conspiracy of Faith_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Face to Faith**

Leaving the Bamboo Forest far behind them, Alex and Shina fly straight for the tallest mountain in all of Gensokyo, which housed the popular Moriya Shrine on its peak. Alex wanted to bolt straight for the top, but Shina insisted on the scenic route up the mountainside. Her repeated squeaks of 'please!' wore him down in seconds.

Starting at the base of the mountain, they kept flight a hundred feet off the ground so they could best take in the sights. The trees were in a perpetual state of autumn, their leaves lively but also as crips and red as honeydew apples.

The winds climbing up the mountain were cold like winter but with the fresh fragrance of spring blossoms. A small, green-haired Youkai in a red doll-like sequin dress twirled amongst the breeze, her body light and easily carried around by the slightest movements she made.

"Isn't that pretty the way she dances like a butterly in the breeze, Alex?" Shina smiled at her companion, whose expression suggested his mind was trapped in another world entirely.

"H-Huh?" He sputtered, giving a rather bland response of, "Oh yeah, its nice...I guess."

"You aren't even paying attention!" She furiously puffed her cheeks and thrust her fists down beside her chest, "Ya can't expand your world flyin' around blind as a bat Alex!"

"I don't think anyone'll fault me for ignoring a few trees..." He swung his hand out beside the face and groaned before attempting to turn away.

Shina quickly wrestled control of Alex's head with one hand and forced him to look straight up, but yelled at him gently, "Well, how about that then?!"

Cascading down the side of the mountain was a towering waterfall with liquid so pristine and white that it was as though it gushed forth from the heavens. The trees strewn about had leaves that were golden-red, while plenty of rock formations diverted and widened its flow.

As they scaled up it, water splashed against their bodies in a clean, barely visible mist. Being in contact with the waterfall's blessing left Alex feeling refreshed and focused. Thus Shina let go, her mission complete.

"See?" She nudged him twice with her right elbow, "Ain't THAT a scenic view?"

He began to close his eyes and hum like a meditating monk, worrying Shina, "Ummm...Alex? Helloooo? Earth to A-L-E-X?"

All he's ever seen of waterfalls were in games and movies, and none of them clearly did a good job expressing how great seeing one in person was. The constant exposure to the sparkling flurry of dew eroded away at any stress and awakening a sense of enlightenment. This infinitely repeating wonder could've given Alex a lifetime of pleasure. But alas, while its cycle is neverending, its height was not.

The moment he had passed its peak, his eyelids popped open fluttering in confusion, and he froze in place. He turned back and looked at the waterfall's edge, longing for more time with it. Behind him, struggling and failing not to giggle, Shina asked, "Should I give you two more alone ooor...?"

"Ahem...n-not at all!" He spun around, crossed his arms, and squirmed in his face attempts to look uncaring, "Its just a dumb waterfall! There are p-plenty of those out there..."

"If ya say so..." Her smile was as wide as her face as she twirled on a dime and kept flying higher up the mountain. Alex budged forward, but then gave the waterfall one last saddened look and stretch of the arm back. He then spend up after her, both of them now halfway up the mountain.

There was only one other noticeable sight along the way, and that was a secluded village within the mountain's lone pocket.

Many red wood bridges and Feudal castle-like homes made this village look like the living place for loyalty. The truth, however, was that it was simply a choice of preference of living for the grandiose Tengu. The Tengu are a group of Youkai with wings and hair like crows. They're a dangerous, nasty group, and Gensokyo's equivalent of a Yakuza. So naturally in spite of the dangers, Shina was very interested to go and meet them.

"Ok no, I'm nipping this in the bud before you get us jailed and/or killed." Alex grabbed her by the shirt collar and dragged her away until the village was far gone. Shina put up little resistance beyond some unsavory whimpers.

After that the top was just a stone's throw away. The peak was greener thanks to moss and grass build-up on the stone ground, but the true beauty of this place came from its view of the landscape. All of Gensokyo was visible, even the Hakurei Shrine on the complete opposite side of the world.

Capturing this view in a picture frame would be an insult to its beauty. A sight like this deserved to be treasured in the vault of one's memories, looked with a diamond key. The sad thing about this gorgeous view, however, is that the luscious winds were at their coldest here, meaning they had to move quickly.

Immediately after turning around they crossed under the shrine's golden-brown torii and headed up a short, winding flight of stairs to the very, very top. There lied a shrine built very similarly to Reimu's, but much bigger. The grounds also looked cleaner with the stone on the walkway freshly laid out. And the denizen deities had one girl to thank for that.

Toiling away with a rectangular broom swept to-and-fro, this simple-minded light green haired girl wore a blue and white traditional shrine maiden's outfit, with the blue on her skirt and sleeves having polka dots and stripes. Coiled on the left side of her hair was a snake-shaped accessory, while above that was a blue headband with a frog's head. Her eyes were emerald green and full of joy, and she hummed to pass the time. Right as Alex and Shina finished climbing, however, she perked up in surprise and dropped her broom.

"Oh! Visitors..." She murmured with barely contained excitement. From the confines of her dress she pulled out a rod with a single paper atop and quickly whispered a greeting to herself twice. She then nodded and rushed over to it aloud.

"Hello! Welcome to our shrine! Have you come all this way to offer your prayers to our patron goddess?" She gave a firm, proud nod of the head, but then quickly turned her head and grumbled in frustration, "Shoot...you needed to say 'travel' not 'come'..."

"We CAN hear you, you know?" Alex remarked with a brow raised. The girl then shot up so fast it was a miracle her heart didn't leap out of her mouth.

"Its not nice to snoop in on other people's conversations!" She boldly proclaimed with her fists swung up beside her chest.

Alex closed his eyes and was beside himself with disbelief, "With yourself? Weirdo..."

"Oooh, I get it..." The girl's expression changed from anger to pity in an instant, "You must be one of those delinquents that can't help being rude..."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you..." His forehead began to throb in pain, "I think you just said 'I'm ready to die now!'"

The girl grabbed her gohei in both hands and with amazing discipline waved it to-and-fro while saying, "Do not worry...As soon as you offer your prayers to Lady Kanako, your soul will achieve salvation!"

"Get bent!" Is what Alex tried to say, but Shina quickly slapped his mouth shut and held off all his groans and growls while reprimanding him, "Alex, we're not trying to spark a religious war here!"

She then turned and smiled with seemingly no pause at all, and held that hand towards the girl. But she exchanged it right out when she saw that Alex had slobered on it a bit by accident, "Sorry about that...My name's Shina, Shina Aurora!"

The girl had a moment of gasping awe as she stared into the eyes of this mysterious girl. Something strong, invisible and unexplainable, bonded the two's gaze together and filled their irises with sparkles. Then in one easily missable second, the two's handed snapped together like magnets and they began to giggle like a female highschool clique, all while the girl eagerly introduced herself, "Sanae Kochiya! Its a pleasure to meet you Shina!"

 **Sanae Kochiya ~ Gensokyo's Very Eager Miracle Girl**

Alex stared in the background while rubbing his eyes a couple times. It was like he was looking at Shina's reflection in the mirror the longer he stared at Sanae, and this trouble him immensely, _"For god's sakes both their eyes are twinkling like disco balls..."_

As he sighed deeply inside his body, Sanae parted hands with her new friend and set her sights back on Alex. Feeling an intense pressure to do good from her pure eyes, Alex unconsciously began to relent on an introduction, "...My name's Alex Whiter. Sorry for the rough start there."

He wanted to gag, but only stuck his tongue out and tucked his hands into his pants' pockets, sinking into a depressing slump.

"I get it!" Sanae giggled and swiped her fingers down a couple times, "You're probably nervous professing your faith for the first time."

"I will have you know that I am an atheist..." He grumbled just loud enough for her to hear.

"You...are?" She went wide-eyed and puzzlingly bobbed her head around as her suspicions arose, "Then...why are you here?"

Luckily, a third party would soon arrive to cleave right through the growing wall of tension with a calm and virtuous voice blessed with divine authority that carried itself all the way from the shrine, "Ah, I knew you'd have no trouble finding your way here."

Coming straight off the shrine with a casual stroll was a woman about as tall as Eirin, though with a leaner, more fit appearance befitting her role as the Moriya Shrine's patron goddess. Her clothes consists of a red shirt with long white sleeves and a round mirror over the center of the chest. A long black skirt with a red leaf/flower print hem was tied to her waist by a thin rope, and thin white stockings stretched from hip to feet, protected by low heeled sandals. Her poofy blue hair had the sleekness of velvet, while her dark red eyes had all the commanding presence of a thousand military generals.

She walked with utter confidence, wasting not even a single step. Her head remained perfectly upright and even with her guests to make them understand that she was devoting 100% of her attention on them and nothing else. Strengthening that indomitable iron wall of confidence was the circular rope known as shimenawa levitating behind her, covered in zigzag shaped paper streamers called shide. This symbol of holiness let all evil-doers know that she was not to be approached, while simultaneously gracing any mortal worshippers with the certainty of her protection.

There was no faking this kind of power, which spread from her feet and rippled across her sanctuary. There was no denying her existence, for her visage was a perfect reflection of what humanity strived for. Bathed in the purest breeze, the woman stopped just a foot beside Sanae and looked straight into Alex's eyes. With just a single, relaxed gaze, she caused his non-believing heart to thump like a taiko drum paying holy tribute.

" _I knew there were goddesses in Gensokyo...But seeing one of them face-to-face like this..."_ There was slight trembling in his knees as his face stiffened in silence, _"Is more than I could've ever anticipated..."_

"You are a lot younger than I was expecting. Thinner too..." She started off with a curt yet soothing sounding assessment, before proceeding to narrow her eyes and look even deeper, "And yet...every bone in your body quakes with his power."

He tried to remain calm, and his patience in that matter was rewarded. The goddess flinched for a moment and laid a hand softly against the side of her face, humbling herself with an apologetic tone, "Oh, please forgive me. I haven't even introduced myself."

She laid one hand atop the mirror on her chest and extended the other one flipped around, "I am Kanako Yasaka, the goddess of this shrine."

 **Kanako Yasaka ~ The Iron-Willed Deity**

Alex raised his hand up, but Shina jolted at the opportunity first and shook Kanako's hand three times in rapid succession, "The name's Shina! Shina Aurora!"

Her eyes lit up while her cheeks filled with a translucent blush, "I-I can't believe I'm speakin' to an actual goddess..."

"There's no reason to be intimidated dear, we're all on equal footing here." Kanako closed her eyes and let out a deep chuckle, then let go of Shina's hand and faced Alex.

His desire to be courteous swindled by Shina's interjection, he tucked his hands into his pockets and murmured, "And for future reference on any letters you want to send, my name's Alex Whiter."

"Alex Whiter and Shina Aurora?" Kanako crossed her arms under the chest and nodded her head halfway, "I will be sure to remember that next time."

Sanae stared wide-eyed between her beloved goddess and the supposed strangers she was being so chummy with for a good minute. When the opportunity revealed itself for her to strike, the maiden blurted out while maintaining respect towards the deity, "L-Lady Kanako...Who are these two?"

"I will not blame you for failing to recognize his power Sanae...But you _did_ help write a letter to this person less than an hour ago."

Sanae faced Alex and squinted her eyes, and in a little bit they popped wide open. She spun towards Kanako and pointed a finger at the boy, the goddess' nod making her maiden's eyes look ready to bulge out of her head. Sanae dropped to her knees and laid her palms down in front, frantically apologizing, "I-I'm sorry sir Elemental Overlord, sir! I-I had no idea it was you!"

Alex's forehead scrunched up as he glared down at this girl paying tribute so eagerly. Kanako looked at the boy's face for just a moment and then brought her hand down upon Sanae's scalp in a swift but delicate chop. The maiden stood right up rubbing the sore spot with both hands while her goddess quietly scolded her.

"Sanae, you shouldn't be professing your faith to other deities."

"Not to mention I'm not even a damn god." Alex grumbled his own complaint into the mix, but his voice was gravely and harsh.

Sanae tucked her hands down before the waist and gave the boy a quick bow, "Sorry again..."

"...Apology accepted." He eased up, bringing delight to Kanako's face.

"Well then, why don't we head inside?" Kanako turned around and walked back with Sanae at her side.

Before he felt safe following, Alex leaned towards Shina and whispered in her ear, "What do you think? Can we trust them?"

"Are ya kidding? Of course we can!" Her ability to respond without thinking was commendable if not misplaced in times like this.

Alex laid a hand on his chin and stared at Kanako's backside. Even without direct eye contact her power radiated like sunshine, warm but nothing to fear unless you gaze at it for too long.

"Maybe...I'm just being paranoid."

Shina leaned her body out so Alex'd see her smile from the corner of his eyes as she said, "Just don't get like ya usually do, ok?"

"...I'll try not to," He replied with sincerity as he laid his arms to rest at the hips, "Besides...I'm actually interested to see what Kanako has to say."

He started walking, leaving Shina with her brows perked up in surprise for a brief moment before she headed after him. As Kanako and Sanae were about to scale the steps of their shrine, a chipper, youthful voice yelled out, trying to give them mild grief.

"Hey hey hey, who said you could just bring people into _my_ shrine?"

Teetering off the edge of the shrine's roof was a young grey-eyed girl wearing a short purplish-blue dress with a frog print design and large white sleeves stitched onto the torso. Her medium length blonde hair was tucked under a light-brown wide-brimmed hat with frog eyes glued up top. The rest of her dress consisted of white kneehigh socks and black shoes, which made her look even more youthful.

She didn't command the presence Kanako did, but still had the purity of a goddess surrounding the body. She must have purposefully wanted to be perceived this, for her demeanor was so carefree that it was like a child going to a park for the first time. As she attracted the attention of her friends and guests, the girl leaned diagonally off the edge of the roof and frightened Sanae.

"Lady Suwako! Watch out!"

The girl sprung off and rolled through the air, landing safe on her feet behind with an arm swung before the waist. She winked the eye on the same side and playfully introduced herself to her guests, "Hello! Hello! Isn't it a wonderful day today?"

The girl barely stood up to the two's stomach, even if you included the hat. So she leaned right back and laid her hands flat against her neck, swaying around with one foot tipped up at a time.

Her boundless energy then came through in every word she spoke, "The shrine's called the Moriya Shrine. Mo-Ri-Ya...Not the Yasaka Shrine. So I am the real goddess of the shrine, Suwako Moriya!"

 **Suwako Moriya ~ Happily Splashing Mother Nature**

Kanako turned around and narrowed her eyes, unleashing the tranquil fury of a storm's beginning upon her fellow goddess, "Suwako...what on _earth_ do you think you're doing?"

Suwako spun around and avoided looking into Kanako's eyes with a mischievous smile, "I'm just telling it like it is."

" **This** is why you weren't invited to this meeting." Kanako began fiddling her fingers across her elbows like there were piano keys on them.

"Oh? Because otherwise it'd be all business and no pleasure?" Suwako's smirk stretched across the entirety of her face as she brushed the tip of her right sleeve under her lips and began to chuckle. After taking in Kanako's grief she spun around and more pleasantly spoke with her guests.

"As guests in my shrine you should be allowed to have fun, fun, fun! So lets head on in and do just that!" She leapt off the ground with her arms swung high and used them to flutter her way over Kanako and Sanae. She then got on all fours and bounced like a frog through the open shrine doors.

All Kanako could do was release her stress with a deflating hiss and mutter "Honestly..." before heading inside herself. Sanae stayed back and followed the guests inside to make sure there'd be no further surprises before she shut the doors.

The entrance of the shrine, naturally, had an altar of worship dedicated to Kanako in the very back. Two wood pillars, called onbashira, stood beside a cushion surrounded by unlit candles with the faint scent of the mountain air surrounding them. Squarely attached to the wall between the onbashira was a rusted steel snake biting its own tail to make an infinity sign, the eyes compromised of dark rubies while the scales looked sharp enough to cut someone just by looking at them.

The floorboards were smooth but had enough graininess to them to prevent slipping. The east and west walls were kept simple, having just one barred up window each. There was a hallway on the east going further back into the shrine, no doubt to Sanae's room.

Heck, take out the altar, and this place would feel right at home for Alex and Shina. No wonder their muscles loosened the moment they stepped foot in the shrine. Despite having a place to seat befitting her absolute dominion over the shrine, Kanako had prepared a separate cushion in front of it. There was another on the opposite side of a table that would be knee high for a kneeling man, no doubt meant for Alex. But that was the only other one.

Shina stared at the table and then looked up at Kanako, who made her way around it and looked back only to gesture towards Alex's seat and say, "Please, make yourself at home."

Alex stopped with his toes against the laced rim of the cushion and looked at Shina. He swung his right thumb up and asked Kanako, "And what about Shina? Where's her cushion?"

Kanako sat down with her sandals clicking heels together and hands resting atop the knees. She closed her eyes and appeared regretful as she spoke, "I don't mean this to come across as rude, but-"

"But like I said, its all about what Kanako wants here at the _Moriya_ Shrine. So in spite of my best efforts she doesn't see you as a worthy conversational partner." Suwako happily interjected, all while in the midst of throwing and taking a seat down on a lily-pad patterned blue cushion beside Kanako.

The goddess' gripped her knees to their breaking point while the side of her mouth squirmed with every word she forced through, "That's not it at ALL... _Suwako_."

"Then what's the problem, if ya don't mind answering..." Shina inquired, not at all insulted.

Kanako calmed down with a quick breath then waved her hand out to reply sincerely, "I just don't know anything about you. So I didn't wish to offend or bore you with my droning."

Alex voiced some doubts without hesitation, "The fact you didn't mention that in the letter is pretty telling though."

"It was a spur of the moment decision to make that letter in the first place."

"Why?" Alex raised his brows and paid close attention to Kanako, who regained her divine composure and spoke up.

"Because I wanted to make contact with you before the _others_ did..." She stressed her point with mild disdain in her voice, not knowing that Alex would've been able to decipher what that meant.

He raised his brows and nodded a couple times, then knelt down at the table and said, "Fine, lets get down to the knitty-gritty then."

He nudged over his shoulder and said, "Sorry Shina, I'll be tackling this on my own. Why don't you hang out with Sanae in the meantime?"

"Sure!" Both her AND Sanae proclaimed in scaringly perfect unison, right down to the pitch of their voices.

Alex just widened his eyes in fright and turned away slowly. Suwako swung her right sleeve up and sent them off with just a regular old blessing, "Remember to have lotsa fun! I'll just be right here...you know..."

Her face twisted into a snickering grin, "Keepin' Kanako from droning for hours."

"Just as **I** will be keeping **you** in line, _Suwako_." She replied with the firm gravitas her title entitled her to.

Sanae snatched Shina up by the hand and bound for the door, her voice gushing with delight, "Come on! I'll show you around the shrine!"

Shina was dragged outside and only had a second to look back and smile and wave Alex farewell for now. The boy then laid his hands atop the legs and looked at the goddesses. For him it was a welcome change of pace to be in the company of "people" not looking to screw around like he's Gensokyo's court jester. Though the goddesses did still seem oblivious to what kind of person he was, as Suwako tipped her hat off and pulled out a small hidden clay jug of sake and bobbed it towards the boy.

"Lets start off with a drink or two to get ourselves merry!"

"Hey, there may not be any laws prohibiting it in Gensokyo, but I'm not about to start underage drinking!" Alex put his foot down.

"Well then ain't you a drip?" Suwako's head tilted as she stuck her tongue out, partially to mock his young naivety but also to give the sake a spot to drip onto as she tipped the jug. Kanako reached under the table and got a porcelain cup for herself and Suwako, who happily filled them up to the rim.

"Are you sure?" She wiggled the cup, being careful not to waste a drop.

"Positive." Alex crossed his arms and patiently tapped his fingers as the two took their first drinks, downing the entire cup in one swill. The goddess care package must've come with the ability to have strong bladders, cause they didn't look the least bit wasted afterwards.

Once their cups were down, Alex decided to start the conversation with a blunt question, figuring they'd be more upfront than Eirin was, "So how do you two even know about the Element Overlord?"

Kanako took the lead in answering, hunching over and pinching the edges of her mirror between finger and thumb, as though opening a gateway to the past, "He showed up in a time when faith in the gods were at its strongest. We never directly spoke with the man, but word of his feats reverbed throughout the land, striking fear into the hearts of Youkai and ill-spoken deities alike."

"He was...feared?" Alex was taken by surprise, but doubled-down on his interest in the tale and leaned in closer to better hear it.

"Legends say that he was like the Hachiman, the Shinto God of War. His blade of steel met with the flesh of those unfortunate to cross him, drenching it thick and red with blood. Under the shadows of the pale moon, the dripping of flesh off his blade's tip symbolized a hunger for battle. Yet he traveled the land with weary eyes and feet as firm as stone. In such a short time that it was a blink of an eye for us gods, that mortal man carved his name into history eternal as the Godslayer."

Alex closed his eyes and dug his fingernails into the rivets of his jeans. He'd heard a few tales of the Overlord on other worlds, but this was the first one to paint him in such a barbaric light. His mind felt disjointed, and he didn't know what to believe.

"He never told you any of this in the time he's inhabited your body?" Kanako murmured curiously, twisting her head down to look into the boy's eyes the moment he opened them.

Alex perked his head up and sighed his griefs plain as could be, "That old man was silent about his past even when-"

He blinked a couple times then looked the goddess straight in the eyes, "Wait say that again."

But it was Suwako who replied as she gulped down her third cup of sake, "Don't be too surprised. We gods know a thing or two about putting souls inside another living being."

As she swung her head back and embraced gluttonous indulgence, Kanako took over the explanation with a little less vagueness and a _lot_ more tact, "What Suwako _meant_ to say is that we're familiar with your predicament. Though your condition is a little different than what we're used to..."

"How so?"

Suwako slammed her cup down to rock the table, then after wiping her mouth clean she stared at him with her slightly glazed over eyes and started sounding like an adult, "Gods and Divine Spirits have the ability to enshrine a portion of their souls in order to take on a different appearance. In my case, I become a small, loveable frog!"

She narrowed her brows and nudged at Kanako with little care, "While she becomes a greasy white snake..."

"...Aaaanyways," Kanako puffed her chest to contain her hot air, then further elaborated on her comrade's point, "A god can afford to do this because of their divine power, so its surprising to hear of a mortal who can put his entire soul inside of another."

"Well, I know for a fact there was some divine foul-play involved for the original Overlord." Alex crossed his arms and tried to recollect what he was told.

Kanako pressed on him with sultry intrigue, "Fascinating. I'd love to know more."

"I don't remember _all_ the details but...The old man got mixed up fighting his evil counterpart the Dark King for control of the universe or some nonsense like that, but his bosses told him 'that's no bueno' when he tried to kill the Dark King. So in exchange for ensuring the Dark King's demise, the old man had his own soul sealed away so a successor could take up his powers at a later time."

"And that successor was _you_?" Suwako smirked with a doubtful raise of the brows.

Though Alex didn't put any effort into denying it and rolled his shoulders as he said, "For whatever reason yeah..."

"But because his soul is complete instead of a fragment, you have perfect control over his powers." Kanako interjected.

" _Never thought about it like that, but it would explain why my powers've never backfired on me...Guess you're good for something after all besides occupying my body like its a damn Best Western."_

"So hey..." Alex lifted his head up and got a little bothered, "Would anyone be looking for vengeance against the original Overlord for...whatever the hell it is he did?"

Kanako had to lean back and think deep on that for a bit, but her answer left no room for doubt, "There are two who would, but you already met one of them."

Alex tilted his head and sounded unsurprised yet curious, "Eirin?"

"Yes. Though if you don't know why, then I'm not going to do her job for her."

"Fair enough, I honestly don't even care. And the other?"

"Sealed inside a little underground bird, fueling my hot springs out back." Kanako's 'open-book' nature made for a pleasant conversation, to Alex's joy.

"So nothing to fret about then." He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, besides that vampire calling for a 'headhunt'." Suwako noted with a shrug.

"Yeah, she's a troublesome little shit ain't she? Oh well, Shina will take on any and all comers." Alex flashed a confident smirk and Kanako and Suwako just looked at each other and chuckled. He stared at them and had no hesitation asking, "What, do you two want to go a round?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't~" Suwako bobbed herself around tipsily while holding onto the edge of the table.

Kanako stayed relaxed and mentioned, "There's nothing the vampire can offer us. In fact, accepting anything from her would probably deter humans from our shrine."

"Well that's a relief, I'm already sick and tired of Danmaku." Alex could feel his muscles relaxing as though he were placed inside of a sauna.

"Already? How could you be tired already?" Suwako spoke up in utter disbelief, then cheerfully proclaimed her love for the sport, "Danmaku is a wonderful thing! There are so many ways a god can play! Every battle is their own festival of colors, a feast for the eyes!"

She slowly lowered her head and narrowed her eyes, hiding that mischievous smirk of hers behind a sleeve as she said, "Maybe you just suck at it."

Alex's muscles tightened right back up with a ferocity that'd scare a dragon on the hunt as he growled to the little goddess, "You know, isn't it proper manners to provide drink _and_ food for your guest? And hey, _frog legs_ sound pretty damn good right now!"

"Enough of this, both of you!" Kanako yelled as she slapped them both across the face with an invisible gust of wind summoned by the swipe of her hand. Leaving them to relieve their own tensions while rubbing their sore cheek, Kanako crossed her arms under the chest and let out a couple gravely coughs.

"...I can imagine the circumstances that brought you both to Gensokyo have painted Spell Card duels in a negative light for you, but I would urge you to reconsider their worth...Just a little bit," She spun her hand around like a saleswoman making a pitch, "In Gensokyo there's nothing modern like TVs or video games, or even literature like manga. The most prevalent, safest form of entertainment for people like us are the Spell Card duels."

"Well that's fine and dandy for you guys, but for me-"

"That's your problem, Alex. You see Spell Card duels as little more than a game." Kanako's voice deepened as she chuckled. In the blink of an eye, the goddess was replaced with an embodiment of pure business.

"But a Spell Card duel can also be used as a means of bartering with someone. As long as you both agree to an equal wager, that is."

"The wager would have to be agreed upon, so that means one party can back out if they don't feel confident?"

"But when it comes to Gensokyo, there's confidence to spare, and very rarely will one back down when challenged."

Alex couldn't say no to that, seeing how he fell for Remilia and Eirin's provocation already. It was just part of the tragedy of being such a hot-headed battle junkie.

"Then you've already got a wager tailored for me, don't you?" Alex could see through her thinly laid veil of deception, but in Kanako's heart she has been completely upfront the entire time.

"Actually, the reason I invited you all the way up here was to make you an offer I felt may be in your best interest, depending on how you acquired your powers. And seeing how my first assumption was correct, it seems I made the right call reaching out to you when I did."

Alex went quiet and raised his brows, while a sly smile crossed Kanako's face as she had him wrapped up in her scaly little tail, ready to bite down on his bulging intrigue, "...How would you like to know of a way to keep the powers of the Elemental Overlord...Without his soul inside of your body?"

 _Meanwhile, outside the shrine..._

Sanae had Shina tethered around by an invisible rope and string as she dragged her around the "backyard" of the shrine. She explained everything, and yes I do mean _everything_ about every nook and cranny. Her title of "wind priestess" was pretty fitting, cause her lungs just wouldn't exhaust themselves even after droning on for minutes at a time.

Shina was fine standing around listening, cause Sanae was genuinely enthusiastic about detailing her history with the shrine. But by the time they got to the multi-tiered lake off to the left Shina began yearning for a little more out of this venture and politely raised her voice, "Umm...Sanae!"

The maiden twirled to her side and pinched her hands together near the chest, briefly taking up a flustered expression. Shina pressed her hands together near the center of her chest and smiled, showing a little exhaustion in her voice as she said, "I-I don't gotta problem with ya being a tour guide but...Can't we just talk girl-to-girl?"

"Girl-to-girl? You mean like...a casual conversation?" Sanae spoke as though experiencing these terms for the first time.

"Yeah! I wanna get to know ya as a friend, catch my drift?" Shina tilted her head and winked. Sanae blinked a couple times then ran right up to her, taking her hands and squeezing them tight while looking ready to cry.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?! It's been so long since I've gotten to speak normally with someone...!" She pulled away and relieved herself with a slumping gasp.

Shina's hands hovered in place for a little while, but she settled them down by her hips while asking, "But as a shrine maiden aren't ya friends with Reimu?"

"Well Reimu is...well, _Reimu_ ," Seemingly having a blunt and low-opinion of the red-white maiden, it was quite a surprise to see Sanae turn around and say, "We get along well enough, but she's never been one for just sitting around making small-talk."

"And Marisa, weeell..." Sanae squeezed her eyes shut while forcing a smile, "She's like what would happen if Lady Suwako drank too much coffee."

She perked up with enthusiasm as she looked into Shina's eyes, then told her with a hand resting against the side of her blissful face, "But its funny...I look at you and feel like we could just sit in a cafe for twenty-four hours talking about whatever. Or...does that sound too much like the plot of a harem anime?"

Her eyes somehow lit up even more as her mind got too far away from her. She started swinging her fists down near her chest while proclaiming, "O-Or maybe this is the start of an eye-opening journey where we find out we're long, long lost cousins!"

"Hehehe...Not unless my mom traveled out here two-thousand years ago." Shina giggled and rested a hand up near her bottom lip.

She then wiggled that hand around and said, "Well we don't have a cafe to get cozy in, but this view of the lake ain't too shabby, yeah?"

"Uh-huh." Nodding in agreement, Sanae walked up next to Shina and sat down on a rock near the stairs from the shrine. Conveniently, there was another stone just a foot away for Shina to sit on as well. The two looked out at the lake, which was sparkling from the sun's reflection. It hadn't set yet, but this was still a lovely sight.

Sanae laid the gohei down on her lap and stretched her legs out, while Shina just closed her eyes and enjoyed the natural breeze.

"So Shina, where'd you come from in the Outside World?"

Shina opened her eyes and tilted her head back all relaxed, "Actually I'm not from this planet at all! I'm from a whole other Earth!"

"H...Huh? You mean like an alternate universe Earth or..."

"Ya probably won't believe this, but there's actually a bunch of other Earths out in the universe. And Alex and I must've traveled to at least four other Earths besides this one!"

"Wow! That's so incredible!" The geek inside of Sanae shone through as she began to rapidly list off her knowledge of astronomy, "The distance alone between galaxies would be HAVE to be 100,000 light years minimum! The warp drive on your spaceship must be PHENOMENOL!"

"Spaceship?" Shina sat up and waved her hands around in disappointment, "Oh no no no, I wish...Alex does all the busywork when it comes to space travel."

"Huh? But..." Even living amongst a world as wacky as Gensokyo, Sanae's suspension of disbelief was vastly stretched by Shina's response. So instead of thinking logically, she jumped to the next best answer.

"Oh I get it! He must know Instant Transmission!" She snapped her fingers and locked in her answer like she was the first contestant on the Price is Right.

"I...think its just some magic mumbo-jumbo going on with the universes. Though...it wouldn't surprise me if Alex knew that technique."

"Still! To travel across the universe and visit so many other worlds! It reminds me of that one series about that boy who traveled with the duck and dog to combat the darkness!"

Shina paused for a moment, the revelation that her journey was very similar to _that_ series hitting her like a one-ton sack of bricks, and she quickly tried to focus on the subject "...Though instead of hunting darkness, we're trying to find an ancient treasure my people's wisest Sage left behind long ago."

"And that led you to Gensokyo?"

"Yeah, turns out its around here somewhere. Who'da thunk?"

"A long journey across many wonderful worlds...all to find a single, important treasure..." Sanae murmured and slowly closed her eyes as her voice became inaudible.

"What's buggin' ya Sanae?" Shina leaned out and wrapped her pinkies together behind her back.

"Ooooh, its on the tip of my tongue...It had pirates in it..."

"Oh, One Piece? Our travel's reminding ya of of that now?"

"You caught that reference?!" Sanae blurted out, sounding pretty hipster-ish.

"Guess our Earths are pretty similar, hehehe..."

"Well hey since you're familiar with it, do you think you can tell me how it ended?!"

"Just straight up tell ya the ending?!" Shina gasped in disbelief.

Sanae fervently nodded her head and swung her fists up next to her face, "Please?! I haven't gotten to read a single chapter in ten years! Surely they found the One Piece by now?!"

"...U-Umm...ten years? What chapter was released around then?" Shina was stalling for time while she came up with a way to not tell the harsh truth to Sanae.

"I think they had just arrived at a place called Thriller Bark?"

" _Oh my goodness...the poor girl never even made it a third of the way through the series..."_ With nothing but pity in her heart, Shina laid her hands together and whipped up a little white lie, "Well if I wanted to catch ya up, we'd be here for days."

"...Yeaaaah, I guess you're right. Maybe another time..." Sanae gave up surprisingly quick and only had a dejected sigh to show for her feelings.

Shina lowered her head in shame for a moment and then looked right back up at Sanae to ask her, "W-Well hey! Enough about me! How about you?"

"Oh yeah! Ask me anything you want!" Sanae firmly nodded her head and laid her hands atop her lap.

"Weeeell..." Shina tapped her fingertips against the side of her face, moving them along to her chin as she leaned back to think. When she was ready to tip over, she sprung back up, clapped her hands down on her knees, and proclaimed loudly, "I got it! How did you feel when you first came to Gensokyo?!"

"My first time?" Sanae brushed a hand out and smugly smiled, "Hehehe! I adjusted just fine to Gensokyo! All those days reading 'transported to another world' novels prepared me to take up the role as the heroine this land needed!"

"...It couldn't have been THAT easy for ya."

"...Well," Sanae let out all her hot air in a single breath and was burdened by labors of the past that left her in a depressed slump, "Lady Kanako and Lady Suwako had me working night and day to set up the shrine once we moved it to Gensokyo. Then there were the weeks I had to go around the Human Village advertising the shrine...Not to mention all the blessings and sermons...And oh goddess I can still feel the blisters on my soles..."

"Ouch..." Shina grit her teeth and could even feel those very blisters on her own feet, and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Luckily Sanae's never-ending supply of energy perked her right up and got her seeing the brightside of all this, "But I met people like Reimu and Marisa, and started solving incidents, and having lotsa fun, so its not so bad after all!"

Envious of her happiness just a little bit, Shina tilted her head and said, "So ya don't miss the Outside World at all, do ya?"

"I miss some things sure...But its not like I ever had any friends or blood relatives out there." It was depressing for Shina to watch Sanae smile while saying all that, and she began to turn away and hang her head while thinking of her own family.

"Do...you have any family Shina?"

Shina lifted her head and was proud to smile and nod with a hand clutched near her heart. Sanae frowned and reached over to pat her on the left shoulder, and Shina began to feel something grim approaching from that pitying look in the maiden's eyes.

"I'm...sorry to hear that. I hope you never forget them..."

"W-What are you saying?" Shina's response bewildered Sanae, who thought she was being sensible in this situation. The maiden pulled away and stared blankly into her friend's eyes as she delivered a harsh truth with dreadful ease.

"...Shina, the Hakurei Barrier prevents anyone from leaving Gensokyo once they enter."

Shina's eyes became as wide as grapes and her heart started to race, while Sanae worried for her well-being but still had the gall to say, "Did...Reimu not tell you that?"

Shina trembled for a bit and then let out a scream that scared the crows off the mountainside, and disrupted Alex's train of thought off of Kanako's offer. He spun back and murmured 'Shina?!' in fear before she came bolting into the shrine and hoisted him off the ground.

With tears of rage flying from her eyes she took her fury out on the unsuspecting boy by shaking him with her hands gripped tight around the collar of his shirt and yelling, "WE'RE TRAPPED! TRAPPED TRAPPED TRAPPED!"

"Shina...hey..." Alex's lungs were getting throttled, making it hard for him to do anything but whisper.

Sanae caught up a little later and tried to explain herself to the distroden Alex, "I-I didn't mean to do this! I thought you both knew how the Barrier worked!"

Suwako and Kanako remained calm and covered their ears. Shina shook Alex some more and screamed hard enough to shake the shrine, "EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE IS POINTLESS! EVEN IF WE FIND THE COSMOS DRIVE, WE'RE FUCKED!"

"Shina will you please..."

"KAIRI'S GONNA GROW UP WITHOUT HER LOVING OLDER SISTER AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT! AND I-"

"SHINA WILL YOU GET A GRIP AND LISTEN TO ME?!" Alex mustered up all the energy he could to let out one overpowering roar, making even the goddesses tremble. Then there was silence, as Shina's eyes dried up and she sniffled gravely.

She let him go, and after the ringing in his ears vanished he laid his hands gently upon her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "We're fine, ok? I can easily get us out of Gensokyo, so don't worry. We WILL see this through to the end. There's no cage. In the entire **universe**. That'll separate you from your family."

Her eyes watered again, this time with happiness, and as the tears trickled down her cheeks Alex backed off and wagged a finger at her while saying, "So don't be so melodramatic next time, got it?"

"O-Ok..." She squinted her eyes and tried to smile, "Thank you for saying that Alex..."

"Haaaa...honestly..." He was reprimanding her with a smile, too taken in by her own to let himself get even the least bit harsh. He then turned around and looked down at Kanako, who was rubbing her chin while hunched over.

"A way to penetrate the barrier? You sure came prepared for your first time in Gensokyo..."

"That's just a coincidence and nothing more." He crossed his arms up against the chest, and Kanako stopped moving with her smile bridging the gap between her cheeks.

"Fine, I won't ask you any questions. But...about that offer I made..."

"No thanks." His sudden reply caught the goddess off-guard, making her widen her eyes for the first time.

"I thank you for the time Kanako...Suwako..." He lightly nodded his head as way of bowing, "But Shina and I should probably get going."

The boy turned around, but Kanako began to stand up while asking, "You're not even going to listen to what I have to say first?"

"Sorry." Alex stiffened up as Kanako's iron gaze punctured his back full of her divine authority, which carried through into her voice.

"Even though if you do...I'd tell you where you might find your Cosmos Drive?"

Alex glanced over his shoulder and felt something that wasn't there with Remilia or Eirin. Kanako was 100% sure of herself that she knew something about what they were looking for. Even with seemingly no stakes in it for her, Kanako was playing for keeps in trying to keep the boy ensnared.

The goddess crossed her arms under the chest and nudged her head up, "Here's my bargain, Alex Whiter. If you can defeat Suwako and me in Spell Card duels, I'll tell you where to go. But if you lose, then you _will_ sit back down and listen to what I have to say."

He turned around and laid his hands down into his pockets. With a rough scoff he said, "Ok. I'll agree to your terms on one condition."

"Just name it."

"I'll just fight Suwako..." Alex pointed at his chest with a thumb, then stretched his pointer finger towards Kanako and said, "But Shina will face you, Kanako."

Sanae was flung aback with shock and let out an offended gasp, then ran up in front of Alex with her cheeks puffed red and exclaimed, "Hey! Lady Kanako challenged YOU, where do you get off passing her to-"

"I'll do it!" Shina merrily proclaimed, and Sanae's jaw dropped as she turned and saw the girl's warrior spirit flare up in her pupils.

Curling her fist up in front of the chest, Shina looked straight at Kanako and remained polite even while so fired up, "If yer ok with that, Lady Kanako?"

"I see no problem with this deal. I will gladly face you on our Divine Lake." The goddess' eyes glistened fearlessly with anticipation.

Suwako sprang up and leaned towards Alex, proclaiming with a child-like glee, "And I guess I'll be having fun with you! There's plenty of free space out back for us to duel!"

Sanae backed off as she felt the sparks flying between both parties, who were all eager in their own ways to duel. And with her left as the third wheel, she had the hardest question of all to answer...

"Ummm...whose duel am I supposed to watch?"

 _Next Time: The Timeless Battlefield_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Memoirs of the Battlefield**

The battle lines between the Moriya Shrine goddesses and Alex and Shina had been drawn. Suwako dragged Alex all the way out back, while Kanako guided Shina and Sanae on a casual stroll to their lake. Sanae hovered between her new friend and the goddess she swore loyalty to, hopping around with her hands tied up behind her rear.

Kanako walked slowly, but every step was as normal as a human's. For all the divine privilage her title entitled her to, her behavior was just as mortal as those who worshipped her. But Shina couldn't shake a strange, familiar feeling the goddess' aura had. Hardened by battle, warm and understanding, there's no mistake that Kanako would get along with her mother, at least in Shina's eyes.

It was starting to feel surreal how both Kanako and Sanae were reflections of the Aurora family in general, despite being born galaxies apart. Though the odd one of the bunch, in more ways than one, was Suwako, who didn't share a single trait with Shina's sister besides their childish appearances. Thinking about all this made it harder to want to face Kanako, but she couldn't raise an objection now.

So instead she looked to Sanae in hopes of distracting each other for a bit, starting off with a poke of curiosity, spoken in such a way that it sounded like a rhyme, "Everything okay, Sanae?"

The perky maiden shot upright and spun at Shina, but almost struggled not to take her eyes off Kanako as they rounded the stairs to the lake.

"I wish I could split off like Lady Kanako and Lady Suwako can so I could watch their battles. But alas, I'm only a human with the blood of a god..." Her thoughts voiced with a droopy sigh led to Shina sympathizing with her.

"It musta been hard to choose..." She said with a couple short nods.

"Not when you're involved..." Sanae admitted without pause, followed by glancing over Shina's shoulder as though they were being pursued. She then trodded closer and leaned out to whisper, "Truth be told, your friend scares me..."

"Yeeaaaah...he gets that a lot..." Shina could only giggle and pretend to itch the side of her face, "But he's not that bad...once you get to know him."

"You're known him for a while, yeah?"

"Almost two years!" Shina yelled triumphantly with pride.

"So you're...friends?" Sanae tilted her head and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Well...duh?" Shina spat out as though that'd be obvious.

"No no no..." The maiden leaned even closer, putting her head inches away from her friend's ear lobe to whisper, "Are you...friends?"

As she backed off, things clicked in her head like a set of clackers and made her gasp, "Oh! Oh yeah! We're that close, definitely!"

"Wow, I never would've imagined..." Sanae nodded a little, but her understanding was definitely a farce, "But...if you know someone long enough I guess anything's possible."

"Sooo...who ya gonna root for?" Shina inquired with a sly smile.

"Lady Kanako of course!" Sanae pumped her fists up but then fluttered her eyelashes some more and waggled her hands around, "N-Not that I don't WANT to root for you..."

"Tee-hee...Religious loyalty comes first, ya?" Shina hastily finished the sentence without being offended, causing Sanae to ease herself of that troublesome issue.

"Right! I won't be mad if you somehow win though. Cause truth be told..." Sanae squinted back for a second then leaned back at Shina to say, "Lady Kanako hasn't done very many spell card duels."

Caught unaware by her rear end ramming into a solid object, Sanae thrust upright, her head hitting the front of Kanako's chest. She spun right around and saw the goddess' minimalistic smile, clearly displeased. Flustered, Sanae hopped back behind Shina and swatted her on the left shoulder to push her forward. Shaking one fist up in the air, the maiden then hollered with abundant energy, "Good luck Shina!"

Tipsily regaining her balance while looking back, Shina then stared straight into Kanako's eyes without fear and asked while again trying to rhyme, "So, ya ready to go, Kanako?"

The goddess stretched a pair of pressed fingers beside her face and gleamed back at the lake's surface, "Just about..."

With a snap loud enough to ripple the lake, the divine waters began to bubble over. From the depths too pure to even look at rose an octagon ring of metallic onbashira, each evenly ten feet long and wide, and standing five feet off the surface. There were three on each side, making for 16 total in the perimeter. Some more onbashira appeared in the center, making the grand total come to 23.

"I'll head to the farthest one, you can start at the closest." Without another word Kanako leapt and glided through the air to the centermost onbashira in the back.

She landed as though standing the whole time she flew, then crossed her arms under the chest and declared certain victory with her grin. The light of the setting sun reflected off the dew dripped shimasawa and turned it into a bright halo, providing that little more intimidation to Shina as she hopped right to her designated spot.

Kanako spoke the moment Shina landed, her voice as power as a thunderclap, "Now, there are a few rules I must establish before we can begin."

"Eh? I already know the rules though?" Shina murmured with a dull tilt of the head.

With eyes creased shut the goddess' voice grew apologetic, "Things shall be a little different than what you've grown accustomed too."

She then thrust her right pointer finger out and decreed, "First, this is a battle that'll be restrained to these onbashire. Jump and run all you want, but there'll be NO flying."

Then her middle finger sprung right up as she continued, "Second, if either of us fall into the water, its an automatic defeat."

Finally rose her ring finger, "Last of all, your victory can also be achieved if you manage to beat both my spell cards."

"So, keepin' yer balance's the name of the game eh?" Shina's heart fluttered with excitement as she intently heard Kanako through to the end, and with her eyes sparkling like the water's surface she leaned out and pumped her fists up near the chest.

"You musta spent a long time comin' up with this variant to the Spell Card duels!"

"Yes. I thought it might be more fun for the denizens of Gensokyo if there were more ways to play Spell Card duels than the norm," Kanako lifted her head up and closed her eyes as though reminiscing, "And a duel like this is far more suited for the likes of me."

As her eyes dilluted Shina tilted her head and murmured a brief 'Eh?', and the goddess responded in turn with, "That's a talk for later. For now..."

Kanako flicked her right fingernails straight out towards the horizon and winked one eye shut. The winds gathered at the center of the lake and rippled their waters out, where they splashed against the edge and dampened the air with their divine power. The winds were cleansed of impurities, and eased the minds of those who surrounded it.

For a couple seconds, Shina only heard that gentle breeze enter her ears. It was like being in the middle of a battlefield between two meeting armies, the calm before the storm of war. The atmosphere befit the goddess, who represented not just the blessings of the divine wind, but was once that terrible, terrifying iron wall that thousands of soldiers could never hope to penetrate.

Shina swung her arms out from a cross, tapping the stone of the Gunslinger Drive as the hands and wrists crossed paths. Transforming with the guns at the ready, she once more left the onlooking Sanae captivated by the mystery of who she was, and the maiden's interpretation of her awe left Shina humored in its bluntness.

"S-Shina...you didn't tell me you're a magical girl too!"

Shina glanced back and smiled brightly at her new friend, telling her with a general confidence, "Its nothing like that! But I'll show you something cooler than one of those!"

She spun her guns around and licked her lips while facing Kanako, "Just don't take yer eyes offa me Sanae!"

Kanako crossed her arms beneath the chest once more and steadied herself atop the onbashira of her choosing. Her legs locked in place, and her body became a statue untouched even by the winds surrounding her.

"Then let us enjoy this battle...Shina Aurora!" A pair of thinner onbashira were summoned to Kanako's side as a spell card appeared above her head, spinning around with trickles of water dancing in a spiral. Shina gripped her weapons tight as the onbashira sliced right through the spell card, and the goddess declared her first move.

"Ceremony of Divine Blessings!"

Kanako started off with a powerful sweep across the battlefield, sending out three waves of solid light-green head-sized spheres. They started off fast, but upon traveling halfway through they slowed to a crawl. Shina tapped her right foot on the ground and took the time to see what onbashira would be safe to hop to. Sticking to the perimeter seemed like the wisest choice, as that's where they'd begin to spread out the widest.

With a short hop to the right, she landed between a couple of bullets and took aim at Kanako, fighting back with her own barrage of bullets. The pellets bounced off Kanako's body without fazing her, so Shina quickly pulled out the tougher arsensal in the form of her sniper rifle. Armed and ready in both her hands, she hoisted the weapon up so the scope was level with her right eye.

As she took aim to fire, Kanako sent out a condensed spread of foggy blue knives to the left, and foggy green ones to the right towards Shina. She leapt off and the bottom of her feet grazed the top of the knives. Landing on the nearest onbashira with a roll, she propped the rifle on her right knee and locked the crosshairs on the goddess' chest.

The same knives she just avoided returned and pelted her on the back and arms, making her bullet scrape the side of Kanako's left shoulder instead. She stood right up and spun back with eyelids fluttering in bewilderment. Sure enough, the onbashira she had used was raised to reflect the knives. She was just unfortunate to be in the perfect spot for all of them to hit.

" _That's not good..."_ She turned back to Kanako and watched as she flung another wave of green spheres along with two sets of knives in quick succession. This time the next onbashira clockwise and counterclockwise in the perimeter rose up.

While hopping to the very center of the arena Shina thought, _"Have to keep my distance away from the perimeter for now..."_

Her next move upon landing was to pay the goddess back for that clever little trick of hers. So she whipped out the ol' SMGs and began assailing the goddess with a rapid-fire string of bullets. Sacrificing power for speed was the key to victory, Shina figured.

She kept up the assault for two seconds before glancing back to see where the knives were heading. A couple neared her ankles, so she performed a short hop to let them glide harmlessly by. Kanako sent out more green spheres, their speed forcing Shina to leap back in a second or take many of them to the body.

But a straight leap back would put her smack dab in the middle of the lake once gravity decided to take hold. With quick timing she whipped out a shotgun, pressed the back against her chest as though giving it a hug, and fired to the right. Her body launched to safety on a left onbashira and slid across the surface. Her heart started racing when it seemed she'd teeter right off the edge, but she picked herself up and hopped back to the center pretty quick.

Luckily, she was in the prime position to just slip between the Danmaku no problemo, so she was easily able to shift focus back onto Kanako. The knives flew to the east and west and bounced off in a perfect wave across the battlefield, whereas Kanako proceeded to fire off more green spheres.

Every square inch of the battlefield had at least one bit of Danmaku in it at this point, making navigating the onbashira a little harder to manage. Busting out the SMGs once more, Shina decided to tackle the harrowing battlefield like she imagined she would skip along stones atop a creek.

With swift, tiny hops and careful alternating of which leg was raised she crossed the lake and ended up on the platforms directly in front of Kanako. Even a goddess had to obey the pattern she crafted, and as she flung the knives their separate ways she nevertheless smirked as Shina cocked a shotgun straight at her.

The knives bounced off the onbashira to the left behind the girl, some of them grazing the sides of her body as she fired her shot. The recoil when combined with this slick surface pushed her to the edge of the platform, and she let out a gasp as her body leaned back.

Kanako fired her next wave of green spheres at the perfect time, as just one was enough to knock Shina off. The next two bullets rammed into her chest and face in that order, pushing her further away. But what seemed like the decisive checkmate was actually a blessing in disguise, for now she was far enough away to try and save herself with a quick, but risky, maneuver.

She took aim with her shotgun towards the edge of the onbashira and fired before her body fell completely flat. The force ricocheted her towards the closest onbashira, where her calves suffered quite the impact before she slid onto the surface.

"Ow ow owie!" She treated the throbbing pain like a minor bruise and squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn't the kind of pain that would go away when the duel had ended, unfortunately.

" _S-Smooth...Shina...S-Smooth..."_ She tried to stand back up only to flatten herself right down and puff in her chest as the knives came flying overhead. Though doing this wouldn't work with the spheres, so pain or not, she had to stand up.

Getting up was the easy part, moving after that...not so much. Applying weight to the calves increased the intensity of the pain, and jumping was definitely a one-way ticket to making that pain flare up worse than touching a burning stove.

" _...And I don't wanna feel that kinda pain again..."_ She murmured internally as though it was a casual memory. Biting her teeth down as the spheres came flying, she dispelled the guns for now and leapt back, curling her leg up and rubbing the calf with her aura covered fingertips.

She stumbled about as she landed on a safe platform, but that served to hasten the healing she applied to her muscles. It may prove to be a hack job in the end, but all that mattered was surviving through this duel.

Kanako watched on with an impressed gleam in her eye as she threw out another dual set of knives, then dropped her statuesque pose to spread her arms like an eagle's wings and summon four thin onbashira to her sides.

"This duel has only just begun...Now begins the second wave of my spell card!" Erupting from the tips of the onbashira were dozens upon dozens of purple and red arrowheads in thin, stringy waves, which quickly appeared ready to cover the entire battlefield.

Shina's eyes widened to the size of nickles as she swapped over to the other leg and started hopping around like a rogue pogostick, desperately trying to avoid the newly introduced Danmaku.

" _C'mon c'mon! Faster! Faster!"_ She rubbed the aura deep into her pores so quickly that the friction of it reddened the skin in seconds. Her body was pelted with Danmaku from all sides, and Kanako made matters worse by throwing in her sphers and knives to the chaotic blender of bullets.

" _Oh forget keepin' my balance! How the bloody hell am I expected to dodge all this?!"_ Satisfied enough with her self-service, Shina shook her leg out as though it was meant to dry and then planted it down with SMGs drawn.

The battlefield was now a mess of bright colors, and Kanako barely stood out in the middle of them all. The goddess was smiling and remained resolute in her victory, and Shina could not blame her for that. Her performance thus far's been pretty crappy, an unworthy display for one of Kanako's status.

Shifting herself around in some vain attempt to escape the bullets' assault, Shina narrowed her eyes and reached deep inside to ignite the fire in her heart.

" _Alright...time to kick into overdrive!"_ A fiery crystal blue aura surrounded her body like a haze as she swung her arms up and summoned a grenade launcher, enduring the assault of the Danmaku just a little longer.

The reticule was pointed at Kanako for just a second, but right as Shina pulled the trigger she shifted aim to the center platform. The grenade that fired unleashed a ten foot wide explosion that wiped out all the Danmaku in its path and freed up enough space for Shina to make her next move.

She leapt to the center onbashira and then stuck tiny jets to the sides of her boots. Switching out for SMGs, she gauged the travel path of ALL types of Danmaku as best she could in the second alotted and then licked the side of her mouth.

" _Yeah...yeah that oughta do it!"_ She leapt up and laid her body out with her arms stretched past the head and legs pressed in perfect alignment. The jets she created fired off in opposite directions and kept her body suspended by spinning her around. She closed her eyes to avoid dizziness and relied on her aura powers to make certain she had made the right decision.

The Danmaku started flying in earnest from Kanako's body and attachments, but thanks to her quick and clever idea Shina had managed to find something of a rarity in spell cards...A safe space. All these bullets flew around like a swarm of panicked bees, but not a single one could come close to grazing her as long as she maintained this position. The knives and spheres were too low, and the arrowheads too high.

But as Sanae was quick to proclaim, "Hey hey hey! Shina! You're not supposed to be flying!"

"This isn't flying!" Shina merrily declared while continuing to funnel bullets into Kanako, "Its floating...WITH STYLE!"

The goddess closed her eyes and kept the futile pattern going with a smile for the few seconds that remained. When her Spell Card shattered, the winds died down by gently caressing her hair. She laid her arms down beside her dress and waited for Shina to land on the onbashira to lay a hand upon her chin and murmured to herself.

"Hmmm, I guess I need to fix that flaw later..." She glided her hand against the side of her face and smirked, then congratulated Shina with a slow, steady clap of the hands.

"Bravo, Shina Aurora. I must commend you for your ingenuity in the heat of battle."

Shina blushed and laid a hand against the back of her head, humbly taking in the praise, "Awww schucks, I didn't do anything _that_ cool. I was fumblin' around like a dope half the time there..."

Kanako laid her arms between chest and abdomen and tilted her head aside to comment, "The fact that you can say that about yourself is why I offer my sincerest praise."

"Huh?" Shina perked up with puzzled eyes as the goddess continued with a peculiar question, "So...what is your race like?"

"The Aurians? Well, I reckon I don't have the time to tell you everything I know..."

"If I had to take a guess, your race prides themselves on being warriors," Kanako gently turned her body and stretched her right pointer finger out to point at Shina's face, "That can easily be discerned from that look in your eyes."

Shina's blush darkened, and Kanako chuckled while withdrawing her hand and closing her eyes, "There is no shame in that. The instinct to adapt on the fly is crucial to every day living as well as battle."

"N-Not that...Its just really really weird to be getting complimented by a literal goddess." She replied while rubbing the back of her head.

"Nonsense, there's no need to be embarrassed," Kanako's face tensed up a little as she laid her hands under the chest, "We're both warriors here...Though I suppose in my case, that time has long since passed."

With a nostalgic smile she lowered her head and remarked, "It was millenia ago, when all the earthen gods and goddesses fought to claim the territory of the mortals. It was during that period that I claimed the Moriya Shrine by conquering Suwako in battle."

She laid a hand up beside her face and wiggled her head with a dry sigh, "A part of me misses those chaotic days, but there comes a time in every god's life when they must accept reality for what it is."

She opened her eyes and through their reflection Shina could visualize the journey of Kanako's life unfolding in seconds, "Humanity owed plenty to the gods in the olden days, but the opposite applied as well. Gods are born of faith, and die from lack thereof. Because of the blessings we granted humanity, they were allowed to prosper and grow as a race, even though their fertile hearts would eventually grow the seeds of terrible sin."

"War changed. Humans used the blessings of the gods to forge weapons and fight each other, tainting the surface with their blood. Once they had a solid understanding of how to forge on their own and craft barracks, stables and walls, the need for gods dwindled. Soon they had machines to tend to their everyday needs, and many gods began to perish due to a lack of faith. As representatives of nature, Suwako and I held out longer than most, but we knew it'd be a fool's gambit to expect that to last."

"So you decided to come to Gensokyo..." Shina remarked.

"Yes. This land, trapped in the era of the gods, was the perfect place to start anew. And here I have been able to take what I have learned from the outside world to provide humanity with technology they've never seen."

"And they give you faith in return?" Shina deduced.

Kanako laid her hand out towards the horizon as the sunlight glistened off her shimesawa, embuing her with heavenly prestige, "All because I trusted my instincts and adapted to the situation."

Her eyes shut and she became at ease while mumbling with a tinge of regret, "There are times I miss those old days. Humanity was cruel and barbaric, but there's a certain elegance to that simplicity that you can't find here in Gensokyo."

She laid her hands out and smiled, "Spell Card duels, however, allow me to experience the splendor of battle without the fear of harm. Yes! Truly, Danmaku is the perfect expression of one's inner self, past, present, and future!"

The passion in her voice gushed forth like a waterfall and swept away all other words Shina may have wanted to say. It was unlike the goddess to appear so excited, and it made her come across as a grandma remembering her youth. And it seems she was aware of the comparison too, for with a cough and brief blush she crossed her arms under the chest, summoned the thin onbashira to her side, and summoned another Spell Card.

"Forgive my ceaseless droning...Shall we continue where we left off?"

Shina smiled and nodded, and Kanako laid her right hand out and remarked, "Wonderful. Allow me to show you...the divinity of my Last Word!"

With a flick of the wrist upward the perimeter onbashira save for the one she stood on rose twenty feet out of the lake, greatly decreasing how much room there was to move. Shina stood her ground and kept the goddess in her crosshairs as she sliced a diagonal cross through the Spell Card with her onbashira.

"The Venerable Ancient Battlefield!" She proclaimed its name with pride, and Shina bombarded her with a string of bullets before the goddess could start hers off.

Shina attacked for at least three seconds straight with no signs of retaliation from her opponent. So she immediately looked back and saw a trio of rings emerging from the back corners of the arena. The rings came out in three tiers and were made of raindrops, emerging fast at first but slowing down as they approached the center.

Shina hopped back and ducked under the middle ring before landing safely. But in that time Kanako was preparing another set of Danmaku around her. Dozens of red paper seals spun around in a blur to protect her until she swiped her left hand out and sent them forth in a condensed, lightning fast wave.

Shina leapt to the left but the seals curved on the spot and followed after her, a couple scraping the right side of her calves. She grimaced but held her ground to fire at Kanako once more. She set up another barrier with the calm raise of the hand and deflected all bullets, which grinded against the onbashira and set the sky ablaze with sparks.

As the first rings of raindrops dissipitated into a vision blurring mist, and Shina closed her eyes to concentrated on the aura the seals had. Their holy power was overwhelming to her visionary receptors, but she clung on just long enough to make the brave leap to the platform to the upper left.

Focusing on the seals left the second rings of raindrops able to run into her right as they emerged, but at least she had managed to avoid the seals, which seemed more dangerous. She took a few shots but another barrier came right up to replace it.

Shina made two quick hops to the right and twirled around each time to avoid the rings of rain, which grew in number to include a third. Like the onbashira reflecting the knives, the rings were emerging in a clockwise pattern to the left and a counterclockwise one to the right. Figuring that out SHOULD have made them easy to avoid, but the homing properties of the seals were greater than any tactical missile. Not to mention the compact space...

Shina's adrenaline was pumping as she was kept on the run from the rings and seals, leaping between each onbashira she could per second. Her flips were in perfect form like a gymnast's, and she managed to avoid all the Danmaku that came her way.

But that was just it. She could dodge to-and-fro until the sun don't shine, but that would just be stalling things out. And considering the last Spell Card, Kanako may be hiding some tricks up those puffy sleeves of hers. The rings were starting to emerge close to the goddess, so Shina leapt away to the back row and rapid fired bullets into Kanako's body while the seals were down.

She then leapt forward with a tuck 'n roll and landed on the center, the seals grazing her from underneath. When she landed she started to feel the first hints of fatigue, but it came as a surprise to her. She didn't even feel all that weaker, if she had to be honest.

" _Remilia was right, you do get used to it...eventually."_ Though it was relieving to know that, that didn't mean she could let her guard down. After the rings ended next to Kanako, Shina expected them to restart from the beginning and decided to stay in the center.

However, Kanako's thinner onbashira began to lower at her sides, aiming for edges of the arena. With the sleek smile of a snake, the goddess unleashed high-pressured streams of water from each onbashira. Shina widened her eyes and made a quick getaway back.

But the rings of water started flying out from ALL the onbashira at triple the speed as before. The streams started closing in nice and slow, quaking the battlefield. Shina was forced to squint her eyes as the water splashed against her body like the morning dew, and then advance towards Kanako.

Sticking to the center was the easiest way to avoid the rings while the streams started crossing, but if they even one of them hit Shina would lose immediately.

However, the cost for this great offensive was a lack of defense, and thus Shina summoned all her strength into a rocket launcher and fired two rockets into the goddess. Each blast was bigger than her body, but did not halt her assault in the slightest, nor did it make her flinch.

When the sparkling smoke faded, Kanako crossed her arms and smirked, waiting for the streams of water to finish the job. Yet even milliseconds from defeat, Shina mimicked the iron wall's strategy and refused to yield. She leapt forward and aimed her rocket launcher down, firing right as her feet hit the ground.

The explosive load yielded the power to twenty tons of TNT and propelled her back into the air just right over the deadly geysers. Her body spun around, and she couldn't see where she was landing. Now, all she could do was hope and pray that lady luck was smiling her way.

Her legs bent down upon connecting with a hardened surface, and upon opening her eyes she saw the left most back onbashira beneath her feet and breathed in relief. Kanako rested and clapped her hands quietly beneath her chest a couple times then resumed the pattern from the beginning.

Shina breathed in deep and squeezed her eyes shut. Leaping over to the center platform, she managed to evade the rings, then with a side somersault left she avoided the seals. All the while, she was working on a plan to defeat Kanako's Last Word. She couldn't hope to run that same play twice if the water streams returned, for it expended a ton of energy.

" _Think think think...Gotta take her down somehow!"_ Her eyes focused towards the onbashira to the left of her, then back over to Kanako.

" _She has to stick to the pattern, so that means..."_ It was yet another risky gambit to add to the pile, but Shina's mischievous mind just couldn't stop concocting them.

Before the rings made their way to her target onbashira she leapt right at it and created a clawshot, firing it at the top. The surface was too slippery to latch onto, but she wasn't going to give up. She turned the claw into a lasso and guided it around the pillar nice, neat, and tight.

She pulled herself in and kicked the rockets on her boots into overdrive, spiraling around and around and around the onbashira as the rope slipped towards the lake. Kanako kept watch as the girl's body became a pure ring of light from how fast she spun, then tightened the fold of her arms closer to the chest.

Though the world was spinning out of control, Shina could feel Kanako's heavenly presence as clear as day. All she had to do was be patient and not launch herself too soon, and this plan would go off without a hitch.

Then came the critical moment, the exact millisecond where she was level with the goddess. When the full rotation had been complete, Shina launched herself straight out like a blazing rocket, only for Kanako to duck her body back and let the girl fly harmlessly overhead. For a brief moment, Kanako could see the girl's flabbergasted expression.

She stood up and closed her eyes with a smirk, but kept a humble attitude about her as she remarked, "A bold move, turning your own body into Danmaku. Perhaps with some work, it'll-"

Kanako shut up and looked at the battlefield, where her Danmaku still flowed at the same pace as before. Her eyes narrows, then widened with the emergence of a blinding flash from behind. She glanced over the shoulder and found Shina with her feet pinned to a square platform of aura and her body aimed straight at the goddess' waist.

She curled back and charged her jet boots, pounding the aura with furious bursts of energy as she declared, "I ain't done with ya yet Kanako!"

She sprung forth without a second's hesitation, smashing the platform to feeble dust as her power rippled down the mountainside and could be felt in the Tengu Village. Kanako had time to blink and little else as Shina rammed straight into her body.

The energy broke around the girl's body and she collapsed atop the onbashira that Kanako toppled off of. The goddess closed her eyes and murmured as she fell back, "The cost of hubris, eh?"

Though accepting her defeat with grace, she couldn't bear to be exposed to the waters and swung her arms out to create a cushion of wind to descend like a feather upon. The onbashira dropped back down on an even playing field, and Kanako crossed her arms under the chest and looked down at Shina with a smile on her face.

With a humored chuckle she closed her eyes and remarked, "I see there are a lot of kinks I must iron out with my Spell Cards. But even so...I wasn't expecting you to defeat me like this."

Shina stood up and fluttered her eyes in confusion, but then winced in pain as the insides of her head rattled, "Ow...shoulda protected my head..."

As she gave the sour muscles a quick massage, she kept one eye open and asked Kanako, "Wait, whaddya mean 'like this'? Were you...holding back?"

"I won't divulge whether that's the case or not, because it is ultimately unimportant." Which was basically an admission that Shina's assumption was correct.

"Hehehe! It was still a lotta fun regardless! You really kept me on edge the whole time!"

Kanako opened her eyes and laid a hand on the chin with a mature poise to her, "Yes well...Even if it didn't matter, I still wished to win. That's the mentality of all who partake in Spell Card duels."

"Ya, guess I'm in a similar boat. Though in this case...ya DID promise to tell me about the Cosmos Drive, soooo..."

"And I shall not be rescinding on that promise. However...I do wish to see how Suwako has fared first."

"Oh, right! I almost forgot about Alex!" Shina perked up and changed back to normal, a hand laid before her gasping agape mouth.

Kanako stretched her hand towards Shina and commented, "Well then...shall we?"

"Mmm-hmm!" Shina laid her hand down upon the goddess' cold skin and allowed herself to be carried to the lake's edge, where Sanae rushed to their side with her eyes ready to bulge out of their sockets.

"Lady Kanako, you lost?!" She gasped in utter disbelief.

"Lost in some measure of the word, Sanae, but victorious in other ways." Kanako's smile crossed the face as she chuckled.

"I'm kinda wondering if you REALLY defeat Lady Suwako...considering your track record." Sanae's bold comment did not go unreprimanded, as with the subdued fury of a dormant deity Kanako's snaky eyes peered through the crease in her eyelids and burned themselves into the maiden's retinas.

"Perhaps you'd like to spend tonight cleaning off all my onbashira, _Sanae_."

"N-No! Anything but that! Especially not tonight!" Sanae backed off with troubled pleas of reconsideration, and the goddess yielded in an instant.

"Then shall we go check up on Suwako, and see how she performed?" Kanako began to walk towards the back of the shrine, and after a supportive pat on the back from Shina her and Sanae joined her in their stroll. It was hard to imagine how Alex was faring at the moment, but a towering splash of steaming water far away _might_ give some the trio a hint...

 _Next Time: Nature vs. Nature_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Unknown X ~ Wrath of Mother Nature**

Minutes earlier, Alex found himself anchored to the S.S. Suwako as she took her dear sweet time moving through the "seas" behind the shrine. She had an almost unhealthy desire to play hopscotch along the brimstone path leading down the mountain's back. She put her tippy toes onto each individual stone and waddled her arms out to pretend she struggled to remain balanced.

Leaps between stones could take up to five seconds at a time, making what should have been a simple trip into a physical labor similar to what Hell must be like.

It might have been worth it had Suwako been talking, then Alex could've at least had something to bounce some "witty" retorts off of. Instead, all his gripes and groans remained echoes in the steadily boiling bot that was inside his head.

" _I'm starting to think Kanako would've been the better choice..."_ He closed his eyes, stiffened his head up, and let out a long muffled sigh, _"A snaky businesswoman or an absent-minded child...Might as well kill me now!"_

Suwako spun around and began to top on one heel while tucking her sleeves back. She had a playful look in her eyes that would be inviting to any youth. But for Alex it was just an anuerysm waiting to happen.

At least now the little goddess chose to speak up, her attitude as casual as a friend's would be, "Did you REALLY need to take Kanako's bait?"

Alex closed his eyes and laid a hand up by beside his chest while quietly saying his gripes, "Even if she's full of it about the Cosmos Drive, it doesn't hurt to play along."

Plus with a cocky smirk he proclaimed, "Besides, don't you think she could use a heaping helping of humble pie?"

Suwako made a particularly large hop then plopped both feet on the ground, swinging one sleeve up near the mouth before getting blunt, "Sure she could. The old hag gets too big for her britches sometime."

With a sly turn of the head she then snickered and said, "But are you really up for the task?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex replied with a fiery glare.

"Nothing! Nothing!" She insisted and threw her arms up in the midst of laying them on the back of her head, "Come on! Lets just have fun!"

With a swift bound forward she sprinted down the path and held her arms out. Alex tilted and shook his head before picking up the pace himself, albeit just a little. Suwako soon vanished into a thin veil of steam that left the atmosphere feeling humid and relaxing. He had never felt this kind of heat before. His body wanted to sweat, but in a good way. Every last concern he had seeped out through the pores and melted to the ground like goop.

The source of his alleviated woes was a set of hot springs. Each one was the size of a pond and could fit a dozen people, and there was plenty of space between each one to ensure privacy. Suwako had stopped at the edge of the biggest hot spring and leaned juuust enough to not fall in.

Alex entertained the idea of tipping her in, but only got as far as smiling about it before Suwako spun around. She looked incredibly happy, even for her, as she proclaimed unrestrained of sensibility, "Well what are you waiting for? Lets get naked!"

Her bold comment was the bullet that shot through and shattered Alex's fragile young mind asunder. His face turned bright red as he stammered like a brainless dolt, "W-What the hell are you saying?!"

"What? You can't go dipping in a hot springs clothed." Suwako replied baffled at first, then spread one hand's worth of fingers before he grin and teased the poor boy, "Oh relax, not like you've got much worth seeing."

"Like you've got room to talk you flat-chested-!" Alex turned away, bit his tongue, and swung his right arm out to try and fend off the perverted imagery that attempted to penetrate his mind, "Forget it! For-get IT! This conversation never happened!"

Suwako leaned back and tipped one leg up while commenting, "You somehow snagged a girlfriend, but with that attitude you'll be a virgin 'til death."

Hiding his beet red face as his eyes rolled back into his skull, Alex groaned with his breath ragged, "A-Aren't we supposed to be having a duel?"

"I don't know? Are we?" Suwako smiled smugly as Alex turned and gave her his patented 'I want to strangle you' glare.

"Alright, alright...Guess it'll have to wait." She shrugged it off and wiggled her left arm at the water. A dozen large lily pads appeared in an instant, and she was no less exhausted for it.

"So...I think a normal duel won't cut it this time..." She turned to look over her shoulder and remarked, "I think we can spice things up with our particular talents, Mr. Elemental Overlord."

Her confident, competitive spirit resonated with Alex on a finer level, and with his arms crossed hs urged her on with, "Alright, what's your game?"

"Nature vs. Nature..." She spoke plainly while standing at her side and bridging her arms towards the springs, "We'll keep to using Danmaku based on plants, water and wind. Just bullets though, no lasers."

"And the lily pads?"

"Platforms. Fall off 'em and you lose. So no flying either."

"How about your spell cards?"

"I've got stuff for this kind of duel, no problem!"

Alex nodded and Suwako yelled out a quick 'Great!' before making like a frog and hopping across the lily pads. He just went to the closest one, surprised by how rock hard it was. Suwako was hunched down on all fours and looking rather jolly.

"Today's a nice day for Danmaku. Every day's great for Danmaku!" She closed her eyes and rocked the lily pad a little.

Alex was glad he could her through the steam, since he was already at a disadvantage. While cracking his knuckles to prep himself, he listed those restraints off quietly, "Three elements, no beams, no flying, can't fall off..."

After a hefty puff he remained confident, "Piece of cake..."

Suwako propped a spell card up in front of her face and said, "Alright! Lets see what you've got!"

Using just a spout of water from the mouth she punctured the Spell Card and made it break, then declared with glee, "Fountain Parade for Native God!"

She swung her right arm up and a plume of shiny water droplets sprayed into the air from her sleeve. Alex held his ground on the lily pad and glanced up just a bit. The droplets were going to fall around him, and their pace was glacial. So he decided to focus on Suwako for now.

He thrust his palm against the air and send a burst of wind her way. She leapt to the right with her hat stuck to her like glue and positioned herself perfectly on the center of the new lily pad. Then she hopped high and threw her arms into the air as though cheering the sun, sending a bountiful bouquet of lotus colored bullets out in a blanket.

Alex thrust his other palm out to hit Suwako with a blast of air that barely qualified as a shove, then leapt to the right to avoid the bullets as they danced like falling petals. The second lily pad he was on started to sink into the springs right away, He gripped his hands together and stabilized it, albeit with a bit of bumbling on his part. Suwako could only chuckle at that, and the boy responded with a twitchy scowl.

He used the tops of the lily pads to create large daisies and threw them out like razor sharp discus. They crossed right where Suwako was, but she kicked her rear straight up and hopped over them. And just to rub salt in the wound, she landed atop one and used it to ride over to a lily pad a couple feet back.

Alex grabbed at the air and yanked his arms back so the elbows would be adajcent to his shoulders, and the daisies flew straight back as Suwako landed. She poked over her shoulder and ducked, her hat left spinning as the daisies passed her by.

The water droplets began to splash upon the surface and make it harder to see what Suwako was up to. Plus, each time they hit the water it sent ripples to disrupt the lily pads. Alex wanted to pay attention to where the drops landed, for he suspected the goddess was planning some nasty tricks in the water.

"Hey! Watch out!" She shouted merrily, shifting the boy's focus up right as a large ball of water burst upon his face and left his whole body drenched. He stumbled back to the edge of the lily pad and shook his head dry, with the steam taking care of the rest slowly.

Suwako stuck her thumbs in her ears and pivoted her hands around, then poked her tongue out and hopped a couple lily pads to the left. Alex rushed to the edge of the platform and smashed his fist against the water, setting a jet bullet across the surface to intercept Suwako's platform, capsizing any other lily pads along the way.

The goddess grabbed onto the lily's edge the moment she landed and held on for dear life as it was knocked up, keeping stuck to the hot spring only thanks to its thick stalk. The lily pad sprang back into place with a hefty splash, and Suwako got right back up on all fours without losing her smile.

Alex squeezed the water as he started to stand back up, only to be blindsided from behind when a string of watery bullets rammed into his back in an arc. Their combined pressure nearly forced him off the edge, but he caught himself just in the nick of time to leap on over to the lily pad straight ahead.

But awaiting him to the right was another arc of water bullets, something he narrowly missed from the corner of his eyes. He pulled his abdomen back and let the bullets graze on by, all while straining to look at Suwako. The little goddess had sat down and was waddling her feet in the water while bobbing her head back and forth.

" _Oh give me a break..."_ When the bullets had run their course Alex sprung forth and sliced the air with a heavy chop, sending a crescent of wind at the goddess. She popped her eyes open and raised her arms up high, causing the lily pad to lift ten feet into the air. The stalk took the brunt of the wind and trembled, but not enough to disrupt Suwako's leisurely sit.

She leaned her head out for Alex and said, "Its a nice day for rainbows isn't it?"

"What?" Alex's mouth squirmed along the side of his face until he decided to look right. Traveling along the same path as the water bullets was a sparkling, solid rainbow. In fact, many of them were cropping up across the hot springs, leaving little room to move.

Alex tipped a little bit forward to get out of the rainbow's path and glared at the goddess, swinging his pointer finger out and proclaiming, "Hey! Rainbows have nothing to do with-"

She swiped her arm up and threw another large water bubble into Alex's face. His eyes were forced shut and he got knocked over the rainbow, where his landed crash landed right in the hot spring. The goddess tilted her head and was more concerned with the rainbows vanishing as she spoke up, "Rainbows need raindrops to blossom yeah? I don't see the problem here."

Alex pulled his head up and was a little steamed both figuratively and literally. Suwako propped a hand under her chin and murmured after seeing how drenched his ears were, "Oh sorry, guess you didn't hear me."

He laid his palms on the ground and kicked out both his legs, slicing a horizontal storm of air blades at the goddess. She hopped over all of them and then fired a spout straight down to vault over Alex. After a couple twirls she landed standing up and grabbed her hat to take a bow.

Alex's face squirmed into an indescribable expression of irritation before he turned around and glided his open palm along the air. The water got picked up and carried around him in a curve, growing taller as though a mammoth shark was preparing to leap out from underneath. Inches away from Suwako's platform, the water submerged and erupted in a geyser.

She leapt back and twirled around, throwing splashes of water from the sleeves before she landed. Alex got brushed back as the water went into his face, but he swiped it right off and retaliated by clapping his hands. The lily pad Suwako was on attempted to clamp shut like a flytrap, but she just hopped on top of the fold on one foot and wiggled her arms around.

Alex swung his arms down by the hip and tried to dunk Suwako in the water, but she made a slippery escape once more onto the lily pad to the left. She then threw her right hand up to send up another plume of water droplets, though not without throwing out a well-mannered taunt, "You should try some more tricks."

His response? Another attempted air blast, this one as big as his body. Suwako hopped to the left and with a flick of the wrist threw a couple large water bubbles into Alex's body. His heels slid off the edge of the lily pad, so he hopped back to get better footing on another platform. He then twisted his body back and hid a clever grin behind his flexed right hand as some ideas brewed in the mind.

"Fine...You want some tricks? I'll show you tricks!" He mumbled to himself and whipped his right arm out. From the palm he summoned a thick vine and whipped it towards Suwako in a second. She hopped over it and then flapped her sleeves to levitate as it came back around.

He whipped it back and forth a couple more times and moved forward, bending down to tap the surface with his pointer finger. He took the bubbles underwater and both solidified and filled them with air before spreading them around underneath the lily pads.

He reeled the vine back in and crossed his arms to patiently wait for Suwako to land. She hovered for a couple more seconds, during which the water droplets fell into the hot springs to repeat that bothersome pattern. Alex sprung to the left and kept on the move around the edge of the arena, evading every arc in his way.

Suwako started leaping in the same direction but was a fair bit more agile, and along the way she threw water bubbles to get in Alex's path. He flipped right over them and stretched his right arm out to snap his fingers, causing the bubbles he set to burst. Suwako's balance was thrown off as the lily pad she landed on flew high into the air, and she stumbled right off onto another one.

She kicked up running as more bursts went off around her, trying her hardest to escape while having the biggest grin on her face. Each hop she made carried her an inch off the ground and thus she rounded the arena in seconds, landing on the lily pad behind Alex. But by then she got struck with a surprising revelation.

Alex had launched all the lily pads save for the one him and her were on, and with a sly smirk he slowly turned around and had a small marble of wind propped on his pointer finger and thumb.

"Gotcha bitch." He flicked the marble off and it flew straight into her chest as the eyes on her face and hat went wide. The marble expanded into a bubble the size of her body and burst wide open with a deafening 'Pop!', launching her back a good twenty or so feet.

Unfortunately one of the lily pads fell back down to catch her on her back, where she propped up on one elbow and rubbed the side of her head with a somewhat frazzled expression. She then hopped onto all fours and smiled unfazed, "Whew! That was a close one!"

"Son of a..." Alex lowered his hand and was beside himself with disbelief.

Suwako kept balanced even as she clapped her hands together and commented, "Alrighty! I think its time for a change of pace!"

"What, done already?" He said with snide.

"Done? Why would I be done?" Suwako lifted her shoulders for a feathery shrug, "What are you the fun police?"

Alex raised his brows and sniffed the air. The heat was growing stronger, and the surface water reflected that by the amount of bubbles increasing in magnitudes. Suwako grabbed onto the rim of her hat and lowered it over her face while remarking, "You know what's great about hot springs?"

The bubbling intensified and Alex knelt down to grab onto the edge of the lily pad, where he then got a good look at the godly crimson gleam in Suwako's irises. With a little more maturity in her voice she said, "They're really... _uplifting_."

The hot springs they were on unleashed a geyser half a mile tall, snapping the stalks right off the lily pads. Suwako's powers kept them alive as they were all hurtled into the air by the hot and powerful updraft. She clung tightly to her hat and the edge of the lily pad and looked towards Alex, whose face turned a mild, swampy shade of green for a second.

"The same rules still apply, so don't think you can relax just yet!" Suwako stood up no problem and summoned another Spell Card, breaking it with a tiny water spout before proclaiming, "Last Word...!"

She threw her head back and her arms to the sky and with a couple leaps declared its name, "Rain, Rain, Rain 'A Blessing of Frogs'!"

Alex stood up on the wobbling lily pad and spread his legs a bit to stay on, then tried to blindside the goddess with a blast of air. But right as it left his palm it was intercepted by an actual, real-life giant brown frog plummeting from out of nowhere. And there wasn't just the one, dozens of frogs rained down every few seconds between the lily pads, filling his eardrums with a grating cacophony of croaks.

"Frogs? What are you, a child?!" He proclaimed in a flabbergasted manner, but Suwako didn't care. She just flung her arm up and launched a broad wave of lilac colored bullets in a flash, a couple ramming straight into Alex's gut to wind him.

"Come on come on! Quit complaining and just have fun!" She cheered him on in good natured faith.

After rubbing his stomach a little he looked right at her in spite of the frogs blocking his way and scoffed, "Hmph! Don't be so ridiculous..."

He swung his right arm back and declared, "As long as I'm winning, I'll keep having the time of my life!"

The frogs were a nuisance to the eyes and kept him from having constant vision on the goddess, who leapt across the lily pads like a cricket on crack while throwing more waves of bullets out. Her attacks were precisely timed to not get ruined by the frogs, so all Alex could do was stand helplessly as his feet were dragged further back towards the edge.

Each frog weighed a lot, for every one that passed rocked the lily pads as though they were in the middle of the ocean during the start of a storm. Alex sought to take advantage of that predicament by throwing air blasts at the lily pads Suwako was using, but if it wasn't the frogs stopping them the goddess merely clung on for dear life as they spun around.

Once Alex had enough of that, Suwako got onto the central lily pad and formed a ring in front of her lips with two fingers to blow out a stream of featherweight bubbles. Alex popped them all with a flick of the wrist to summon an air blade that Suwako then vaulted over to get in closer. The frogs didn't even come close to hitting her, and it was doubtful they ever would.

Alex leaned forward and swung his arms together, launching three waves of water at rapid speeds. Suwako backflipped and landed with one foot onto one, then skipped and jumped onto the other two no problem. She then had a mischievous glimmer in her eyes as she leapt up and swung her arms overhead.

From a puff of smoke she created a wooden hammer twice as big as herself and brought it down towards Alex's head. He widened his eyes and leapt to the right, the splinters in the hammer's head grazing his kneecaps. Suwako smashed the lily pad into oblivion and threw the hammer back, then started hopping away while Alex was too flabbergasted to respond.

After shaking his head the boy snapped his fingers and surrounded her with whirling orbs of wind. She snatched onto the edge of the lily pad as they burst into whirlwinds, and the eyes on her hat squeezed shut when it looked like it was going to go flying.

But for as powerful as the maelstrom was, they served as a mere distraction for the likes of Alex, who waited out the frogs to jump to the right and get a clear view of Suwako's side. Even before he landed he mentally latched onto the lily pads at his sides and set them to spin rapidly before tossing them straight at her.

Suwako perked up with a chuckle and smirk then ducked down into a puddle of water she just created, leaving only her hat exposed to the harsh elements. The puddle vanished and she sprang back up diagonally to the right of Alex, suspending herself with fluttering legs while blowing a stream of hot bubbles into his body.

Each bubble couldn't have hurt worse than a mosquito bite, but a hundred coming in contact with him a second? That easily ticked him off, and he retaliated by pounded the center of the stream with his fist to send a bullet of air straight at her.

She dove back down into the puddle and reappeared where her hat was, immediately throwing a spread of lilac colored bullets shaped like a frog at him. He hopped to where Suwako just was and the frog landed upon the lily pad, dragging it down with its weight.

Half the platforms were gone now, but this was detrimental to both parties and Alex was confident he'd get Suwako with this disadvantage before she could conjure up any sort of tricks. With a firm smirk he swung his right hand up and sliced through three of the lily pads with an air blade, leaving just the row of three the two were aligned across.

Suwako's brows perked up and she hopped back, throwing a couple big water bubbles as fast she could to try and topple Alex over. He met her attacks with his own of equal power, dousing the battlefield in hot mist. He tried to hop over to the center lily pad but a frog fell down before his feet left the ground, giving Suwako the time necessary to throw a seed onto that lily pad.

A human-sized tulip blossomed from the seed and began spraying Danmaku everywhere, leaving Alex no choice but to deal with that first. Once another frog passed by he swiped his hand at the air and sent an air blade at the tulip's stalk. He had plenty of stamina to spare and thus didn't give a shit about the Danmaku falling upon him like pollen.

Suwako threw a water bubble over the flower to deal with the air blade, then floated in mid-air and tossed out a couple more for good measure. Alex braced himself with legs of steel and only budged a couple inches when they hit. But then he blinked, and Suwako was gone.

There was just a ripple of water on her lily pad, but surely she couldn't be planning on going to the center? No, Alex knew exactly where she was heading, and spun around right as she emerged for an ambush. Her extended sleeve met his outreaching hands, and the two fired off simultaneous bubbles of water and wind.

The moist burst rang into their ears for a second, and Suwako just managed to drop into another puddle to return to where she was. Alex, on the other hand, stumbled until he was slanting off the edge of the lily pad. With the shadow of a frog's underside looming terribly close, he widened his eyes, bit the bullet, and leapt over to the center platform.

His back smashed the tulip but all the Danmaku it released at that moment stung terribly. Nevertheless, he got right up and threw an air blade to slice the platform he was on. Left with just the two, he started a quiet but resounding chuckle of victory as he turned around and swung his fist up by his shoulder.

"Nowhere to run for either of us now, Suwako." His fist tightened along with the gritting of his teeth, and the goddess got on all fours and tilted her head looking puzzled.

"Sooo...that means I'll win soon, yeah?" It was the most obvious taunt in the world, but sadly it fell on deaf ears. Alex swung his arms down by the right hip and formed a condensed ball of air as big as his head. His plan was simple. Leap over to Suwako, hit her point-blank to send her flying, and the recoil would land him safely back onto the lily pad. 

"No..." He leapt straight out and began to thrust his arms out with an overzealous expression, "It means you LO-"

It was a picture perfect moment. The sharp shift from arrogant certainty to complete dumbfoundedness. The miniature, beautiful smile the goddess wore. All of it this could be captured thanks to a single frog, which dropped its girth straight on top of Alex's head and dragged him down, down, down into the hot springs before he could even say one word of profanity.

The splash his body made could be seen even at the bottom of the mountain, with the lingering, steaming dew making for a rare and vibrant rainbow. Suwako made her way down beside the hot spring by slowly fluttering her sleeves, and landed on all fours atop a rock. She looked down and saw the boy face-first in the water, and he wasn't moving. But there were bubble coming from under his face, so at least he was breathing.

She took her hat off and spun it around on one finger, playfully talking to the boy in spite of his misfortunate accident, "Soooo...will that serving of pie be for here or to go?"

He started to grumble, but the water left his words inaudible. Considering the intensity of the bubbles rising from his mouth though, he was probably furious. Suwako tilted her head, closed her eyes, and tried to leave the match on a good note, "Hey hey, I had a lot of fun, and you did too. So keep your chin up! Tomorrow's another day."

Alex raised his right point finger up for a second, then plopped it right down and clenched it in with the rest of his fist, and though his voice grew weak he was clearly trying to say "Damn you..." though his bubbles.

Suwako put her hat back on and hopped into the hot springs, getting only up to her thighs wet as she waded over to the boy and effortlessly picked him up. She then jumped to dry land and laid him on his back. He wasn't choking on water, and the heat around his body was enough to dry him and his clothes off in seconds. But he didn't feel like moving, and just laid there wallowing in defeat.

Suwako hunched down next to him and gave his face a couple pokes, but backed off when his muscles started to tense up. After one long sigh he started to push himself back up and only had a drab 'Whatever...' to say about all this.

He lifted a hand up half-assedly and closed his eyes, then said to Suwako, "Look...no hard feelings ok?"

"What do I care? Like I said, its all about having a good time in Gensokyo," She smiled as she stood up, but got a little louder and snide as she noticed Kanako walking down, "Well, to **some** people anyways."

Kanako narrowed her glare at Suwako, who just turned aside, laid her hands back at her head, and began to whistle innocently. Shina suddenly sprinted past the goddess and stood beside Alex, ready and eager to bombard him with questions.

But as he turned his droopy eyes towards her she clammed up and bit her teeth with a deflating hiss. She then laid some fingers by her chin and had no hesitation saying, "Ooooh...you lost, didn't you?"

His eyes flared up and he briefly snapped at her with his arms held snug against the chest, "You don't have to act so damn unsurprised about it!"

He bit his lip and jerked back to let off a little steam, and Shina remained patient until he could more calmly speak to her, "...So, what about you?"

Shina opened her mouth but only got a gasp of air out, as Kanako took the lead in the conversation by answering on her behalf, "She performed admirably."

"So she won?" That got him smiling, and he leaned his fists against the side of his hips and let out a puff of relief, "Great, so we'll just be taking that Cosmos Drive info you got and be on our merry way."

"Not so fast Alex." Kanako firmly replied, and he broke out into a groan.

"What? What is it now?"

She closed her eyes and pointed out, "Shina may have won, but you still lost to Suwako. And since this situation doesn't warrant a draw, that means you must still fulfill your end of the bargain."

He widened his eyes and with a gritted scowl rubbed the back of his head to grumble "Son of a bitch..." to himself before relenting surprisingly quick, "Fine, fine. I'm not someone who breaks a promise."

He looked the goddess in the eyes and asked, "So what is it you've been so desperate to tell me, Kanako?"

"I'm glad you are being compliant, even if it took a little effort to to so," She had a small but pleased smile as she creaked her eyes open and got straight to the point, "How would you like to become a part of the Moriya Shrine?"

Sanae's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and she ran right in front of her patron goddess to voice her displeasure, "Lady Kanako what are you saying? He'll drive off all the customers!"

Alex glared hot daggers into her back hoping that'd shut her up, but all it took from Kanako was two simple words, "Not necessarily."

She stepped forward and Sanae moved aside, allowing the goddess to better approach the puzzled boy. She laid a hand up underneath her mirror and gave it a slight twist, revealing on it a reflection of her own imagination. In her dreams she saw humans in dirty, dainty robes looking up and cheering for Alex, but the continued confusion on his face upon seeing that left a lot for her to explain still.

"The humans of this world are trapped in their village like cattle, serving their fear as nutrients to the many Youkai who live amongst them. Though it isn't a one-sided relationship by any means, there are many humans who feel better knowing there is someone who can protect them. That's why they turn to shrines like ours and the Hakurei maiden's, because they believe that we are their saviors."

"And they aren't wrong. Reimu and Sanae have been crucial in solving Incidents for years. However..." Kanako twists her mirror some more, this time showing off the two maidens spending their days laying down on the porch with drool running down the sides of their faces. Sanae turned beet red in a second, but Kanako just kept going while trying not to get too harsh.

"When it comes to other labors for the humans, they aren't the most reliable at times..."

"T-That was one time Lady Kanako!" Sanae swung her fists up in protest.

"But you don't tire, do you Alex? Nay, I say you could do the work of a thousand humans and not break a sweat."

Alex tilted his head and scoffed insultingly towards her, "So what, are you making a proposition for me to become the shrine's manual labor?"

"In some sense of the word, yes," She was upfront about her intentions without a shred of hesitation, and began to pull her hand away from the mirror to instead point at his body, "Remember how I said I can relieve you of the Elemental Overlord's soul without you losing your powers? Working for the humans is the key to accomplishing that."

"How so?" Shina spoke up with great interest.

Suwako then interjected all of a sudden, "Gods are born of faith and die of lack thereof. But what about a human whose powers aren't born of faith? What happens when they start receiving the blessings meant for a god?"

She turned around and faced Alex to further elaborate, and was acting more her age than ever before, "The general populace isn't going to know that your powers are attached to another soul. They'll just see a human flying around creating fire, plants and water and go 'Wow, who is this god who has come to give us these wonderful gifts?'"

Kanako picked up the slack from there, "Belief is a powerful asset in Gensokyo. It is what allows those denied existence in the Outside World to keep on living, but it can also create things that never existed before. But in your case, the belief humans have could transform the Elemental Overlord into an actual god."

"...Go on..." Alex's interest got Shina worrying, but she bit her tongue and hoped she was just overthinking things.

With a creasing smile Kanako spread her arms out towards the boy and her shrine atop the mountain, "With enough faith, his powers would be yours, and his soul could safely depart to the afterlife in peace."

"And what does the shrine get out of this?" Alex bluntly inquired, glaring right into her snaky pupils.

"Well, a god's faith is nothing without a shrine to attach themselves to. And as long as you are receiving faith, we too shall not have to worry about losing ours. Its of mutual benefit to us both."

She stretched her hand out just a tiny bit more, but Alex merely closed his eyes and puckered his lips to say, "Hmm, pass."

"Huh? Just like that?" Kanako murmured with her eyes briefly widening.

He crossed his arms and after a sigh bothered to explain himself, "I'm not looking to be worshipped. Godhood? With me that'd be the equivalent of trying to shove a square peg through a round hole."

He leaned one hand against his hip and tilted in that direction, opening his eyes to further nail the point home with how serious his stare was, "I'll do good because that's what I decide to do, not because I have to meet others' expectations of me."

He waggled a finger at Kanako and reprimanded her a little, "And besides, your plan would just throw the power balance in Gensokyo out of wack. And there's no way you'd be happy with that, is there?"

"Hmhmhm..." Kanako puckered her lips into a smile and crossed her arms under the chest to say with scarce traces of deniability in her words, "Indeed, I suppose you are right."

She then looked at him and said with as much grace a goddess could be allowed, "But I thank you for hearing me out regardless. Now then, about your Cosmos Drive..."

She faced the side of the mountain and stretched her arm straight down towards a temple in the center of the land, "There's a place down there called the Myouren Temple. They house hundreds of treasures from places far and wide. The chances of them having gotten a hold of the Cosmos Drive or something related to it are slim to none, but it can't possibly hurt to check. My qualms with the priest's methods aside, she is not a hostile host and shouldn't give you trouble."

Shina turned and gave the goddess a quick bow, "Thank you so much Kanako!"

"Feel free to come back anytime. I'll try not to be a burden if you do." She mentioned with a hint of embarrassment on her face.

Sanae looked at Shina and her lips were drooping on both sides, "Awww, do you have to leave so soon?"

"Hehehe, sorry Sanae, we're kinda on a time limit here..." Shina scratched the side of her face, hiding her mutual disappointment behind the usual smile. She then laid her hand out and said, "But I swear I'll come back and visit someday!"

"You got it!" The maiden shook hands once with all her energy, securing their vow.

Shina then turned around, wrapped her arm over Alex's shoulders, and pumped the other fist up high to say, "Alright! Lets head on down...to Myouren Temple!"

She grabbed on and made him hop off the mountain with her, where the two descended out of sight pretty quickly. Kanako observed their departure with a smile spread across her cheeks, puzzling Sanae. Suwako leaned forward and wobbled a leg up, looking up at her fellow goddess to say bluntly, "Alright Kanako, I think its time you stop keeping poor Sanae in the dark."

"Right, right..." Kanako closed her eyes and nodded a couple times, while Sanae just pointed at herself and said, "Eh? What're you talking about?"

Kanako looked at her from over shoulder and answered swiftly, "Truth be told, I was expecting him to reject my offer from the very start. That wasn't my true plan here."

"See, that vampire has provided us with a spectacular opportunity. Her message was broadcasted to everyone in Gensokyo, not just Youkai, but the humans as well. Now everyone in the village knows of the value of the Elemental Overlord, which means his defeat sends a very clear message to them..."

"Yep. Once everyone else tries and fails to take their shot at the Elemental Overlord, word will spread across Gensokyo that the goddesses of the Moriya Shrine were the only ones to put a chink in his armor. And from there, everyone will put further faith in us." Suwako added.

"And that's why its crucial that those two head out to deal with our rivals now rather than later. I can see right through that boy..." Kanako's eyes began to glow, but her words weren't the least bit malicious, "He won't let something like this happen again."

Sanae threw a punch right into Kanako's shoulder and puffed her cheeks with fury as the goddess blinked her way in confusion, "Lady Kanako! Shina was counting on you to tell the truth and you lied! How could you?!"

"...Who said I was lying?" Kanako answered honestly, "I do sincerely believe they'll find something down there. I'm merely turning this situation to my advantage."

"Though to be frank, once word gets out the humans'll be swarming to _me_ , not you," Suwako noted with a smug grin. As Kanako's nostrils flared up and her glare turned sour, the little goddess spun away and delighted in taunting her fellow deity, "Guess I'll get my shrine back soon after all!"

The shadows of Kanako's four thin onbashira lingered over Suwako's body, as the iron-willed goddess levitated off the ground and delivered a firm ultimatum, "Perhaps you need a reminder of just why you lost it in the first place..."

With a deep guffaw Suwako swung around and a pair of metallic rings appeared like magic in her hands, "Fine fine, I guess there's still some time left. You better not use your earlier loss as an excuse when I win, Kanako."

"Hmph...!" Kanako swung her head up and then the two zipped straight for the hot springs to battle, and with a deflated sigh Sanae nevertheless perked up with a smile and went to go watch her patron goddesses do battle.

 _Next Time: Decadent Deception_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: The Otherworldly Battle**

Leaving the Youkai Mountain far behind them, the hapless duo made their way to their next destination in the center of Gensokyo, the Myouren Temple. It is a lone monk's temple where various Youkai are said to be given new purpose in life...To various degrees of success. But that is neither here nor there. All that mattered to them was _hopefully_ finding some lead regarding the Cosmos Drive.

Well, all that mattered to Shina right now anyways. Alex, on the other hand, had his mind set on something else more personal. Once past the two had glided past the base of the mountain and wound up above the forest surrounding most of Gensokyo, Shina nuzzled up beside Alex and tried to see how he was doing.

Being silent was nothing strange for him, but his behavior after the Bamboo Forest had been particularly strange. He started to turn his head, oblivious to how close she had gotten, and his brows perked up upon being greeted by the sight of her silky blonde hair.

"S-Shina...I didn't see you." He stammered as his brain attempted to shift gears. After she gave him space he twisted his head aside and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a moment to breath in deep.

Shina treaded on eggshells to suggest to him "...Is there something you wanna talk about Alex, ooooor..."

"Yeah," He said to her surprise, then turned his head back and looked at her with saggy, flustered eyes to say, "Do you...mind if we take a detour to the forest?"

"Sure thing Alex," She brightened up with a nod and smile full of positivity, "Nothin' wrong with a quick break!"

Alex dropped straight down and she followed a second later, the two of them breaking right through the canopy and landing firmly on the grassy ground. He crossed his arms and leaned his head back, contemplating stuff while looking at the fading sunlight peeking down between the leaves.

Shina stood back and tucked her arms behind, leaning her head out just a little behind Alex's shoulders. He didn't pay her any heed until she started twirling the back of his hair around one finger and playing with it, after which he let out a groan and started to turn around. She reeled in immediately and grinned, but he didn't say anything about it.

Instead his gaze pointed downward, and his mouth began to open. Then he closed it, opened it again with a gasp of air coming out, and pursed his lips so tight that his mouth would be dry in seconds. All of a sudden he swung his head up and expressed frustration with a swift outburst, "Ok be frank with me Shina, why the hell do I suck so goddamn much at Danmaku?"

"Ah-ha! I knew it!" She proclaimed triumphantly by snapping a pair of finger right out before her waist. Alex's face froze up and he almost looked insulted by her gesture, so she quickly tried to salvage it by swinging her hands out and blabbering, "N-Nonono! I didn't mean anything bad by that Alex, i-i-its just that...ummm..."

He drooped his head and closed his eyes to sigh, then shook his head and admitted, "You knew all along...I should've figured..."

Now it was her turn to freeze up, save for her eyelashes fluttering. He straightened upright and tucked his hands into his pockets while biting his teeth down and bracing for the harsh critique he invited upon himself.

She lowered both hands and gave him her utmost attention, ncluding sprinkling in that bright smile he came to love, before saying a word.

"Hehehe, well why didn't ya just say something sooner?" She pulled up with a single jerk of the body and an energetic 'Hup!', then set her gaze to her surroundings for a bit as she tapped the side of her face to think.

"Hmmm, but wow... **You** asking _me_ for help? I don't even know where ta start..."

Alex groaned and tried to rush things along with mild annoyance in his voice, "This isn't a goddamn college grade math class. Just say it like it is, that's all you have to do."

After snapping her fingers out before the face Shina gave herself a proud nod then stuck a pointer finger to give herself a more teacherly air, "Ok Alex. First off ya gotta think of Danmaku like you're performing in a ballet..."

The boy's cheeks puffed and something grimy could be heard in the back of his mouth. Shina snapped her fingers twice, slanted both brows, and said with a raised voice, "Hey hey! Ya told me to be honest so don't go givin' me any lip now, ok?"

It was disgusting, but Alex swallowed what came up and after a quick squirm sealed his lips up tight and slowly nodded. Her brows perked up along with a smile and she continued, "Great! So as I was saying...You know what the most out of place thing in a ballet is?"

Alex couldn't stop himself from kidding around, "A man?"

"No silly, an armored tank!" She said seriously.

The boy's head tilted and his jaw slacked to let out a quick 'Eh?', so she playfully commented, "Geez Alex, I'dve thunk you'd get the big picture right off the bat."

" _Is she REALLY accusing ME of being oblivious?"_ He thought with an unamused squint of the eyes.

"Ok ok, lets get away from Danmaku for a sec..." Shina closed her eyes and created a riding crop, causing Alex's eyes to widen until her unflinching innocence ruined any concern he might have.

"Soooo, ya ever sit down and think about how ya fight Alex?"

"Uhhh, can't say I have, why?"

"Ah..." She ominously nodded her head a couple times then smiled, "Well don't fret, yer teacher's here ta help!"

" _...H-Has she been repressing these desires forever or is this just her being her...?"_ Alex started to get a little worried, but couldn't exactly ignore that he was also blushing.

She waved the riding crop in circles in front of her and spoke clearly, "Yer always just going right in and throwing everything you've got at your opponent in hopes that'll be good enough. I...don't really think you've ever tried to consider the possibility that people aren't just gonna let themselves get fried crispier than a serving of KFC chicken breasts."

"So...what I'm missing is-"

"Lemme finish," She whipped the crop playfully before his face and then continued, "Ya also tend to just barrel through your opponent's attacks with no sense of self-preservation. I know ya told me that you're refreshed whenever you change forms, but that ain't really a boon with Danmaku now is it?"

"Hrrmmm..." He crossed his arms and was a little peeved at her for being so right. Though he hadn't received permission he tried to defend his actions, "Look, those patterns of theirs are ridiculous. You can't seriously be expecting me to dodge hundreds of bullets a second."

Shina smiled and gave a slow, supportive response, "Well...yeah, I think ya _can_ do it Alex."

He blinked a couple times and got even more embarrassed, causing him to turn his head away and sweat a little. With a pleasant giggle she continued to teach, "That's why I used ballets for my comparison to Danmaku, cause the way I fight requires me to quick, nimble and adaptive like a ballerina. You're almost _required_ to turn your body into a noodle and let it twirl around in the breeze if ya wanna have any chance of dodging all those bullets."

Rolling his eyes up with a scowl, Alex spat in Shina's general direction, "Easy for you to say, you've been trained to fight that way since you were born."

Shina blinked a few times then lifted her head back to murmur, "Huh, hadn't thought of it like that..."

He shook his head and waved a hand up next to it, ending up in a bit of a slump, "Guess it can't be helped. At least you tried."

"Nuh-uh!" She whipped the crop against her hand and it snapped in two, leading to her then grabbing Alex's shoulders in both hands to force him to look at her fiery glare, "I ain't letting ya give up like that!"

"I-Its just Danmaku, who'll give a shit once we leave...?" Alex dryly commented.

"Not the point!" She was suddenly yelling, shutting him up immediately. With a firm pout a loud hum came from within her as her eyes began to squint shut, and the grip on his shoulders tightened. Her fingers scrunched up like she was trying to break bricks, and her humming just got loud to the point of being worrisome.

"...A-Are you ok Shina?"

"Wow, you are REALLY tense Alex..." She pleasantly noted while retaining that intense focus.

"No shit, you just _now_ noticed?"

"...Oh!" Her eyes widened and she backed off with a resounding clap before the chest, "I got it!"

He didn't even get a chance to ask questions before she was waving a finger in circles over his head and barking orders, "Alright Alex, turn around! I'm gonna fix your predicament in minutes or you'll get your money back!"

Skeptical to say the least, he shrugged his shoulders and slowly turned around. With his arms down at the hips and a lofty wiggle of the body he closed his eyes. Shina licked her lips and started rubbing her palms together, raising them up like a predatorial animal ready to pounce.

She swung her palms down against Alex's shoulders blades and filled her hands with aura. Immediately his eyelids swung wide open while a rush of energy radiated across every muscle in his body. His legs shook out of alignment for a second and he felt like he was standing in the middle of a warm waterfall.

Shina closed her eyes and nestled her fingertips into his skin. Her touch was soft, like she was kneading his muscles like bread dough. She slowly made her way down his back, undoing every twist and knot that had bound his muscles together like a messed up bundle of christmas lights.

"Oooooh yeah..." He moaned through tightly puckered lips while Shina continued down to the bottom of his spine. His body wanted to melt into water and become one with the ground, and he wasn't about to disagree.

Since it would take a bit of time for Shina to work her magic, Alex saw fit to strike up a conversation, "Sooo...your mother taught you how to do this?"

"Actually no! Gabriel did. He even taught me how to massage my own muscles!" As she started to get down to his thighs Alex's whole body went numb, consumed by immeasurible pleasure. His eyes were starting to glaze over, but his fiery spunk remained.

"G-Goddamn...I'd almost consider trading all my powers just to have mastery over aura..."

"Hehehe, yeah, its pretty versatile ain't it?" She said with boisterous self-praise while grinning from cheek-to-cheek.

Finishing with a tap against his heels, Shina sprung right up and held her hands back, "Weeell? How ya feel?"

Alex trembled and felt like he had already collapsed on the ground at least once. He could hear the blood in his veins flowing like a river, the sound crystal clear and devoid of obstacles.

"I-I don't even know the last time I felt like this..." He stretched his arms and wiggled them out with incredible fluidity, then turned around and remarked with flushed red cheeks, "T-Thank you."

"No problemo Alex!"

Though he was experiencing physical Nirvana, his realistic, pessimistic way of thinking proved to be an irritating obstacle that forced its way through his mouth, "...But I doubt this feeling will last long."

Shina flicked a finger up from her clenched fists and had a wiggly smile on her face, "Well...that's fine! This gets you into the proper state of mind for the next step!"

"There's more?" He replied with both suspicion and surprise.

"Yeah...yeah!" Her pause only raised more alarms, but she did the same circular finger swirl above his head and he obeyed without hesitation.

"Next up I want you to try and think of something comforting in your life. Like for example..." She started tapping the side of her face, then slanted her head and squeezed her eyes and lips shut to get deep in thought.

Then with a snap of the fingers she proclaimed, "Oh! Like the first time you flew!"

Alex squirmed, and after biting her lip she hastily said, "O-Outside! The first time you flew outside! Just...try and remember the feeling of the wind against your body."

He closed his eyes and shook his head before telling her, "That's easy, but I don't think that's good enough."

"But you get what I'm saying, yeah? Ya need to think of something that'd make you feel as relaxed as you were after that massage. THEN ya'll be in the proper mindset to better dodge Danmaku."

Alex concentrated deep down to think of something relevant to Shina's advice, and the relaxation from her massage was starting to fade away. The left of his lip quivered, and through it came a subtle groan. Shina walked up beside him and twirled around with a leg hung back, then leaned in close to his face.

"Ya mind if I go on ahead to the Myouren Temple while you work this out?"

"Huh? Yeah sure whatever, you don't need my help there." Alex said without opening his eyes a peep. She turned around and broke into a sprint, only to nearly trip up when he coughed 'Ahem!' very loudly.

"...Shina, the temple's to the west of here."

"Oh, my bad! Thanks!" She then zoomed right off in the appropriate direction, leaving Alex behind to sigh at her strange ability to be both bright and ditzy.

With only the cold gentle breeze flowing around the trees and quiet thoughts to keep him company, Alex tucked his hands into both pockets. His ears were open to all the sounds around him. Even the slightest movement of a Youkai wouldn't go undetected, and he kept his fists clenched so if they were foolish enough to try regardless he'd be able to act in the blink of an eye. Thus, he was free to work on Shina's advice unperturbed.

" _A pleasant, relaxing thought...Do I even_ _ **have**_ _any of those?"_

He first drifted to the memories of his parents, but that was swiftly drowned out by a falling white light as his face scrunched up in anger.

" _No...!"_ He moved on to the next best thing, and that was leaving the prison of his home behind to begin his journey to become an Elemental Overlord.

" _I...guess?"_ The memory wasn't even worth the pitter of rain on the surface of a lake of tranquility, so he shook his head and tried elsewhere. Just a little bit further into the future, he remembered the first time he got the Elemental Overlord power.

The warmth of fire, the crackling unbelieveable power of electricity, the chilling fervor of ice...the splash of blood spilling forth from corpses sacrificing themselves for his sake. He grit his teeth and shook his head, and didn't even put a thought into words. Easing his head back into place, he tried to go further. But the few years after that are so devoid of even the slightest glimmer of happiness that his muscles started to tense right back up.

"Tsk...this is pointless..." He grumbled as though complaining would suddenly make things better.

"...Maybe I missed something..." Instead of trying hard to find happiness, he let his mind flow on its own through all his memories and emotions. There was plenty of time to waste, after all.

There was a dreadfully boring period of nothing where only frustration festered and grew inside the mind. The increasing pointlessness of trying to find peace just to get better at some silly card game invented by a bunch of crazy people was making him what to just surrender on the spot and go after Shina.

But right before his brittle patience could snap in two, he felt something riding up the sides of his legs. His muscles became relaxed, a feeling so real that it couldn't possibly have been a dream. So he opened his eyes up wide and standing in front of him was Shina, who rose up after giving his legs a massage.

She was smiling, and her eyelids were relaxed into this longing stare. The boy's heart started thumping, but it felt wonderful. He looked into her eyes and ignored the void-like sea surrounding them. In his mind she was all that mattered now, because she made him feel safe and relaxed.

Yet...there was something more to this vision. The area around his eyes began to glaze over, amplifying her look more womanly. The blood in his veins pumped at an increased pace, and it became harder to think. There were no words in his mind, no consciousness in his movements. His head leaned forward, and his eyes began to close.

His body sans the lips became numb as he grew closer and closer to this unforgettable experience. A dream so perfect it was real, a dream so lucid it was intoxicating, a dream so important it couldn't be forgotten...

"Hey Alex! How's it going?!"

And in the span of a second, it was gone, leaving Alex drenched in a cold sweat, gasping for air while his mind became scrambled. He collapsed forward and laid his hands atop his knees to keep himself from ending up on the ground. His vision was blurry and dizzy, without any way for him to explain why.

His only guidance was the familiar sound of Shina's voice that snuck up behind him, so he lifted his head back to see her. She approached with her usual smile, tilted just a little to suggest embarrassment towards herself. Alex was thankful that she could not read minds, for there was certainly, positively, ab-so-lutely no way he could ever bring MENTION to her about what he just dreamt off. He'd sooner die than let that happen.

Before she laid eyes on his disheveled self he stood right and crossed his arms against the chest, feeling the rapid heartbeat that stubbornly worked against him. He slowly took breaths in while his face turned beet red and gleamed back. As he looked Shina in the eyes, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He gulped and looked ahead, chalking this sensation to him being so damn nervous.

"B-Back already...? D-Did you forget something?"

Shina walked up from behind and bonked the side of her head with a fist and the tip of her tongue stuck out, "I...got a teeny bit ahead of myself. Sooooo I thought it'd be better if I waited for you first."

"...Y-You'd be fine by yourself. But whatever...its your call." As Alex finished speaking she stopped right behind him and pressed the edge of her chest against his neck, worsening the sweat ouput from his face and making him twist up and grimace.

"A-And could you please gimme some privacy? I'm...I'm trying to concentrate..."

With respect for how hard he was trying, Shina only giggled and took a couple steps back. Alex could still feel the hairs on his neck rising, and increased the pace of his breathing to try and regain some semblance of control over his emotions.

"Sooo...have ya had any luck?" Even the simplest inquiry got him to squirm.

"Mrrghh...no, no I haven't."

"Aww, that's a bummer. Do ya want me to try and give ya some suggestions?"

"I doubt I can relate to those happy memories of your sister, Shina..."

"...Heheh, yeah, guess you never had a little sister like mine," She nervously scratched the side of her face for a few seconds before coming up with another idea, "Well take your time! We've got plenty of hours to spare!"

"We're not saving Myouren Temple for tomorrow Shina. I just..." He grit his teeth and growled loudly in frustration, "REALLY can't shake this annoying itch in the back of my neck. Its like something's watching us from the shadows."

Shina scanned the trees for a few seconds then shrugged, "I dunno what's got yer britches in a bunch. There's nothing up there but a buncha birds."

"...You sure? Try using your aura."

She squinted her eyes shut and insisted, "Nope, nothin' but birds!"

" _That's odd...that's really really odd...Am I just...screwed up in the head after that dream or something?"_ He thought about it for a second, but then an echo triggered something suspect in his head.

" _Wait a minute...what did she just say?"_ He glanced back at Shina and saw her apologizing with a shrug. So he shook his head and started to turn back, only for that echo to nag at him some more.

" _No no no, I wasn't imagining it...she DID say that."_ His eyes narrowed and he glanced over the shoulder.

" _...It couldn't hurt to try..."_ He gestured his left hand up and said, "Hey Shina, about your sister. Have you given any thought to what you're going to say to her when you get back?"

"What I'd say? Ummmm, golly, I don't know..." Her cheeks grew rosy and radiant as she was embarrassed to admit, "But my little sister's probably gonna be too teary for me to a get word in edgewise."

Alex's eyes flared and he swung his arm up to draw his sword at her. She flinched and raised her hands up, blabbing in confusion, "W-What's wrong Alex?! Is there something hiding behind me?!"

"The only thing being hidden here is your true identity, whoever you are!" He yelled with clear and focused disdain.

"A-Alex...its me...Shina!" She backed off and began to shake in the kneecaps, looking ready to cry. Without hesitation Alex lunged forward and laid the tip of his blade under Shina's chin, lining the rest of his before his face and chest.

"The Shina I know...would always refer to the one she loves the most as her 'little _sis_ '" His confidence returned in the blink of an eye, he flashed a smug grin at his adversary and continued to make sense of the situation, "No wonder I was having that lucid dream...You were trying to mesmerize me so my guard would be lowered!"

The impostor's eyes widened and blinked a few times while Alex proclaimed with the utmost certainty, "Ha! Nice try punk, but ya blew your attempt at an ambush!"

"...What are ya talking about? I didn't do anything to your mind..." The impostor stood genuinely perplexed for a good few seconds, leaving Alex to gawk with his mouth wide open. His cheeks reddened and his eyes looked blank and emotionless, both things the impostor derived laughter from.

"Hehehe, I knew I made the right call going after you. You're a funny little guy. Too bad my disguise didn't last a little longer..." Her face scrunched up in frustration, but got all giddy when Alex set his blade ablaze with a dull glow.

"Take it from someone experienced with clones...There's no such thing as a perfect copy," Alex declared with an intensity in his eyes that lasted a moment before the gaze shifted to the left, _"Wait...haven't I said that already?"_

With a quick shake of the head he pushed the blade up against the fake's skin and exclaimed, "Anyways...! Now shed your skin you dirty snake, or I'll rip it off myself!"

Her smile creased unnaturally across the span of her face as her body was filled with distortions resembling multiple squares of static. As the echoes of giggles filled the forest the impostor flipped back. A three-pronged black trident impaled the ground, with a green snake curling up the back of the rod as an adolescent girl perched atop it in a gargoyle-like slouch.

This girl with short black hair dark red eyes and pointy ears wore three red metallic wings that curved at differing angles and had tips shaped like arrowheads. On the left side of their back were three blue wiggling tails with the density of ribbons, and wrapped around their right arm was a light blue snake with beady red eyes. Her dress was all black save for the black and blue trim near the neck, and the red bow attached to it. Topping her bizarre appearance off was the boringly plain black thigh-high stockings and red bow topped shoes on the legs.

She waved her left hand right up and had a genuinely pleasant air surrounding her otherwise enigmatic frame as she spoke up with a rough and rowdy tone, "Sup Elemental Overlord! The name's Nue Houjuu! I hope I filled your heart with plenty of dread!"

 **Nue Houjuu ~ The Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma**

"Can it!" Alex proclaimed as he swung aside and freed his hand to viciously point at the girl, "What have you done with Shina?!"

Nue rolled her shoulders and loosely admitted, "Beats me, its not my job to care about her."

The snake on her arm crawled down to the trident and bit into the other one, hoisting the weapon into her hand's as a sleek mischievous grin stretched across both cheeks and her eyes projected a more hostile glimmer of light, "Besides you oughta be more concerned about yourself, seeing how you're the one getting pranked!"

A Spell Card spawned a few feet away from the feisty nue, who sliced right through it with her trident and then zipped over the boy's head like a bolt of lightning. He turned around but she had vanished into the shadows of the forest, taunting him with the playful echoes of her voice.

" _Lets play a deadly game of hide and seek young Overlord! Think you can survive my Endless Loop-de-Loop 'A Trial of Deadly Shapes'?"_

Alex pounded his fists together and proclaimed with a scowl, "Boy you're really gonna regret choosing to screw with me! So go ahead, hit me with your best shot!"

" _Heheheh! That was always our plan!"_

"Our plan?" Alex mumbled with intrigue, but was forced to focus on the sights ahead as glints of light broke through the shadows. Dozens upon dozens of bright neon Danmaku meant to resemble squares, "Os", "Xs" and triangles came flying at him like a swarm of angry bees.

They were faster than the naked eye could perceive, leaving little time for Alex to leap out of the way. He skid across the ground and swung his right hand back to set it ablaze. The intensity of the lights left him squinting but focused, since Nue would be the ink blotch on this otherwise pristine display of bullets.

Yet after a few seconds her presence proved to be a no-show, and the bullets' light grew brighter because they were all getting closer. Alex leapt away and shook his hand free of the flames, but the Danmaku kept its relentless pursuit.

"The hell is this?!" He grit his teeth and looked to the right and left. To his shock the Danmaku wasn't just going after him, it had him surrounded in a perfect loop. The trees weren't an obstacle either, for each bullet phased right through.

" _Do I have to count to ten before you'll try and find me? Or maybe you feel too hopeless to try..."_ All her taunts did was light a fire under his butt, and said fire manifested around his body as he tucked his hands in and kicked straight back twenty feet.

His back rammed into a tree but he pulled away with minimal concern and dashed around it. The Danmaku shifted course and started approaching him from behind, leading to him getting briefly consumed by the swarm. It was like getting pelted with snowballs launched from a mechanical baseball pitcher on the fritz, so Alex was damn sure to get out of there the first chance he had.

While keeping on the run he sliced the air with his legs to send waves of fire into the Danmaku, but there were no visible signs of impact on his foe.

"Tsk...!' He planted his feet and drew out his hands full of electricity, fraying the sky before him with a jagged net of lightning. Again, a waste of time.

Bolting it as the Danmaku closed in, Alex landed in the center of the loop and looked up, leaping skyward after flashing a sly grin. The moment he breached the trees the Danmaku doubled in speed and rose to smack him back down, where he tumbled back first into a thick trunked oak, splitting it down the middle.

"...O-Okay...that stung a bit..." He dragged himself back up and saw the Danmaku zipping straight down, taking that as his cue to scram.

But while on the run Nue took the time to relay a scathing critique of his performance so far, _"I was expecting a lot more fighting and a lot less...fleeing."_

"Hey shut up, you're breaking the rules by hiding!" Alex swung his head around but couldn't get a lock on neither her presence nor her voice, and was again backed into a tree. He rolled around it and kept on the run, refusing to waste energy on empty air.

" _You can see me. That's why its called hide and_ _ **seek**_ _. Oh, but don't think your little tricks will help you out. My Seeds of Unknown Form mask my presence entirely."_

Alex growled through his teeth, "So, that basically makes you invisible. Great..."

But after a bit more scurrying around got his adrenaline pumping, Alex realized something crucial that the nue had accidentally let slip, _"Wait, I can 'see' her?"_

He stuck to the ground for a second and squinted at the Danmaku loop as a brilliant idea began to form, _"She's disguised herself as one of her Danmaku?"_

The bullets swung inches close to his face and he made two major leaps back, accidentally planting his feet against the side of a tree. He bent down and flung himself higher, performing a series of flips to vault over the tree before Nue could ram him to the ground.

He turned and ran for it, exclaiming with increasing fury in his head, _"Easy! All I have to do is find the correct one out of a THOUSAND GODDAMN BULLETS."_

He looked back and dragged his hands out for battle, setting them on fire and proclaiming with the intense face of a madman, "Fine then, I'll just smoke you out!"

He thought about that for a moment and his flames just sputtered out, along with any motivation to try other elements upon realizing that every single one would have devastating consequences on the environment. He kept leaping away, followed by the scandalous taunts of his feisty foe.

" _Ooooo, so the Elemental Overlord is a tree hugger. Who would've guessed?"_

"T-That has NOTHING to do with anything!" He stammered with reddish cheeks.

" _I'm not too picky about the foods I eat, but the grosser the better! Moldy broccoli is the best!"_

"If this is some nutjob attempt to confuse me, cut it out!" Alex snapped his fingers out and launched a sonic boom blast of air, keeping it contained at point-blank range. He went deaf for a second and couldn't hear the birds fleeing from the now barren trees right above.

After this failed attempt to fight back he dashed away and tried to come up with another plan, _"There has to be some flaw to the Seeds of Unknown Form that I can exploit. Its not a perfect disguise, there's just no way in hell!"_

" _I can't sense her or seek her out through sound...Smell's out of the question, I don't even know what she smells like. Probably raw sewage if that's her eating habits...Eaugh."_

Then, as the sweat of running rampant through the forest started getting to him, the lightbulb of brilliance clicked itself on inside his brain and he let out a slight gasp, _"Wait a minute...Back then, when she was disguised as Shina..."_

He could distinctly recall Nue flinching to his sword getting up close and personal with her, and from there one thought led to another until a concrete plan was formed, _"She still maintains a physical presence in this world!"_

His happy smile drooped for a moment as a more cynical take on the scenario played out in his head, _"...Or she could have just been screwing with me."_

With a quick and firm shake of the head he pushed his left arm out against the pressure of the air and snagged a tree branch as big as his limb right off with ease, "Screw it, trying it anyways!"

Using his thumb as a makeshift lighter he set the branch's tip ablaze and threw it out. He kept on the run but stretched his hands out to hold the branch in the middle of the Danmaku swarm as it built up a plentiful cloud of smoke.

Weaving around the trees was a top priority even though it seemed he was going in circles now, but Alex also managed to keep his eyes wide open and focused for any signs of the smoke attaching to something. After a patient, silent minute of running around, the boy's eyes widened and timed seemed to freeze around him.

A single "X" flew threw the heavy smoke and got it stuck on them like glue, then kept on going to repeat the loop. But it was too late now. Alex had gotten that "X" in his sights and wasn't going to forget where it was. Playing Nue's game for this long made him privy to how many seconds it took for the loop to make a full rotation.

He began the timer in his head with scaringly perfect accuracy, then swung his right hand back to condense flames into a sphere bigger than his head. His fingers squeezed around its circumference in spite of the pressure it emitted, and collapsed it until it was no bigger than a baseball.

" _Five...four...three...two..."_ At that crucial moment Alex's eyes widened without hesitation and he lunged straight ahead with the arm already swinging forward. The smoke drenched "X" ended up directly in the path of his fireball and was pushed out of alignment with the rest of the loop. Alex took the brunt of all the Danmaku head-on until Nue had been forced out, and then launched the fireball to send her hurtling through the forest.

The fireball expanded to the size of his body as she changed back to normal, then exploded and knocked her to the ground. Her body rolled through the grass and dirt on its side, where she was stopped by a lone tree that just happened to be in her way. Her body stuck there for a moment then fell flat on its stomach, where the little mischief maker then quickly got up with her knees pressed together and legs bent out beside the rear.

Her head wobbled and the presence of smoke lasted for a good while longer, although now with tiny scorch marks on her skin and clothes accompanying it. Alex walked up to her and looked down with a blank expression, and even in defeat her annoyance got vented regarding an unrelated topic, "Twice...twice you've exposed my true form. Couldn't my fun have lasted a little longer?"

Through a flick of the wirst and snap of the fingers Alex got roots to crawl out of the ground and bind Nue's knees and elbows in place. He was soft with the constraints, feeling it'd be cruel to inflict lasting pain to this prankster...at least for now.

He crossed his arms and gave Nue a stern glare right in the eyes as she barely put up a fight, "Alright you, no more Spell Cards. You mentioned something about 'our plan'...Who are you working with, and what do they want with me and Shina?"

"I know nothing about her, honest!" Nue proclaimed with a cheeky smile.

Laying one hand on his hip and sighing, Alex upfront told her, "Deceit's natural for your kind, so I can't blame you for not being compliant with telling the truth. But I _really_ don't think you want to piss me off right now, cause if you've done anything to Shina..."

"Hey hey! Don't fry me up like a bad piece of tempura just cause you're not listening! I'm serious, I wasn't chosen to be part of that team!" Nue kept her cool the entire time she blabbed, but once Alex smirked she gawked and realized she had screwed up.

"...But you _were_ in contact with the ones who've targeted Shina before coming here, correct?" He crossed his arms and watched as she shook her head.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you who they were! I'd rather bite my tongue off!"

" _If Nue knows them, it could only mean the head monk of the Myouren Temple...But why would they go through all this trouble just for us? Something's fishy, but I know just how to get to the bottom of this..."_ He raised his brows to bolster the high ground he had over his captured company and told her, "I'm not worried about Shina. If you say you're part of a team, then that means there's a leader watching us right now, and I want to meet them."

"So I'll cut a deal. You call out to that head honcho of yours, and if they show up I'll let you go."

"Ok sure! I shouldn't be hogging all the fun for myself anyways!" Nue complied without giving it any thought, then took in a deep breath and let her yell echo throughout the whole forest, "HEY! HE'S ALL YOURS NOW!"

"Ho hum ho hum...A child so young and frail's the inheritor of such frightening power? The world's gotta wicked sense of humor, that be certain..." It was an elderly, down-to-earth kind of voice that emerged from the willows dangerously close by. When Alex spun around, the person the voice belonged to was just ten feet away, as though having been there all along.

She was just a few inches shorter than Alex, but with an air of wisdom far beyond what even her mature appearance would suggest. A hat shaped like a leaf covered her ruffled shoulder length brown hair and the sagging gaze of her brown eyes, which were also being protected by a set of gold-rimmed glasses. Her outfit was fairly old-fashioned, consisting of a beige ecru shirt, grey bloomers, and a short skirt with a red-grey pattern across it. Nestled at her back in full display was a bushy beige-brown raccoon tail and a white clay bottle of sake, while in her right hand was a thin, freshly burning smoke pipe which weaved around her face a most mystifying veil. Once the woman perked her head up one of her best features, a pair of fuzzy raccoon ears atop the head, made it obvious who and what she was.

Alex stood there silent at the sight of this perplexing woman, who had managed to get the jump on him without any of the tricks Nue had at her disposal. She wasn't that powerful, but what she did have was far greater. Knowledge, and plenty of it. Yet a wiggling smile suggested a more playful, wily side to her. It was only natural. After all, tanuki's _love_ their fair share of tricks.

After flicking the used up grains of soot from her pipe, the tanuki took to puffing a bit of smoke while striking up a well-meaning conversation with the boy, "It ain't real proper to keep a buncha ladies waitin' forever ya know?"

"What?" He could only answer so simply.

With the smoke expelled from her mouth in a ring, the tanuki looked to the skies above and her voice grew a litle more ominous, "You've been a guest'a honor for a pretty good few years I reckon. The lot of us were kinda hopin' ya'd be a no show at all...Least then that mess'a trouble coulda been avoided."

Alex's eyes narrowed towards the tanuki, who showed no signs of regard for her own life as she boldly gazed out from the corner of her eye and remarked, "But hey, now'r never don't matter to me...If you are who you are, then I reckon I'll know soon enough. Ain't that right Elemental Overlord...? Or...perhaps you won't mind me callin' ya by your other psuedonym, Mr. Phoenix of Destruction?"

With those three words, the meaning behind why the boy had come to this world had been flipped entirely on its head. Once having no reason to come here for himself, now he had _all_ the reason in the universe to stay. That was not a title that could be flung around so carelessly. Someway, somehow, this curious tanuki had caught wind of those terrible words being strung together in relation to him, and it was now up to him to get her to spill all the beans.

The tanuki couldn't back down from a challenge and her smile widened further. She was unlike anyone else Alex had met in Gensokyo so far. Even with Eirin the boy could get somewhat of a bead on what her intentions were. But this tanuki? There was nothing, not even a glimmer of possibility as to what she was planning by ambushing him out in the open with those enticing words. Truly, this woman deserved to be called what she was...

 **Mamizou Futatsuiwa ~ An Enigma Wrapped in a Mystery**

"Hohoho...I hope yer as eager as I am to play a little game, young'un," She whispered with an unnerving gleam fogging the lens of her glasses, "I reckon I'd be a tad disappointed if ya didn't live up to our expectations of ya..."

 _Next Time: Gensokyo's Unstoppable Duo_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: An Alliance on Two Fronts**

Shina made her way through the forest, alone, but not the least bit uncertain of her destination. The amount of trees seemed endless, a sea of green blessed with beauty by the rays of the setting sun. She was wowed by how peaceful nature was in Gensokyo. Even with how many Youkai must've populated the world, there were no signs of a struggle on the trees. They'd all been preserved perfectly since the day they first sprouted.

Was it magic that let this happen? Or maybe something else just as mysterious? Whatever it was, Shina could feel a kind presence coming from her surroundings as she continued to run past all the tree trunks. But she knew the forest's comfort wouldn't even be able to compare to the place that lied beyond its branches.

" _The Myouren Temple...If I recall correctly, its run by a kind and gentle saint who helps out Youkai in need,"_ She slowed her pace to a brisk stroll to steady her breathing and continue gathering her thoughts, _"But...that don't mean she wouldn't wanna help me. Yeah...yeah! Nothin' to worry about!"_

With a firm and certain nod her thoughts drifted towards a certain someone, "I'm so glad Alex was honest with me. Hopefully someday he'll be able to be that open with others too..."

She reached into the bottom of her shirt and touched where her heart was beating. The skin felt warm at the mere thought of the bond of trust and love that had grown between her and him.

She closed her eyes and hummed, filling up with happiness as the journey's end drew near, "I'm gonna miss traveling to all these worlds, but...I don't think I'll ever wanna miss another day with my family. Gosh...I wonder what mom 'n sis'll think when I come home with Alex. I hope they can all get along..."

It wasn't hard to imagine Alex and her mom locking horns from time to time like a pair of stubborn bulls, but at the same time he'd probably get along well with her little sis. The possibilities of what a happy family life entailed filled her with longing, but not for very long.

Her eyes started fluttering open as she got a tad embarrassed at herself for getting distracted. Her hand then whipped right out of her shirt and clapped together before the chest as she gave a quick pep talk, "Now's not the time for that Shina! Ya ain't homeward bound yet!"

Peering forward with squinted eyes allowed her to make out the shape of a temple just a few blocks away. With renewed vigor she made a mad dash through the rest of the forest and nearly tripped over a thicket of bushes on her way out.

"Alrighty...here I..." She stopped with a wide-mouthed gasp right at the front gate, and peered past the perimeter stone wall into the courtyard. There wasn't a single soul in sight, neither human nor Youkai.

" _That's odd, isn't there supposed to be a youkai girl at the gate?"_ She tip-toed inside, stretching her legs out in an exaggerated manner in some vain attempt to not make a sound. Once past the gate she poked her head around the corners just to be certain she didn't miss something. But no, there was definitely no one around. The atmosphere felt cold and lifeless as a graveyard, which was pretty ironic seeing how there was one of those in the west part of the temple.

The temple itself was old-fashioned, its design dating back to at least a thousand years ago. But its architecture had been kept intact all this time, save for the tiniest scratches on the posts keeping the overhead roof suspended out front. There was a large stone bell atop the temple, and a visible walkway on the right side stretching way out into the temple's backyard.

" _Hmmm, maybe they're out doing Buddhist stuff?"_ Shina presumed, but upon thinking about it realized something, _"...No, duh! Someone'd still be watching the temple then."_

With a click of her fingers she had an inspiring idea, _"Ah! They gotta be out back practicing sutras...or whatever they're called."_

Left with no other recourse as far as she could tell, she began to cup her hands around the mouth and squeezed her eyes shut to yell, "Helllloooooo?! Is anyone hooooooome?!"

The moment she stepped foot on the stairs, a louder pair of feet planted themselves firmly at the top, causing her to hop back and gasp, "Whoa! Huh?"

Standing there with a pure heavenly presence was a youthful woman with long, wavy purple-brown gradient hair and a black and white dress. Straps of black cloth criss-crossed between her shapely chest and waist, while straps of white cloth covered her arms below the shoulders and the thinly built boots above the ankles. A long black cape with a red inside stretched down to her knees, and her skin was as spotless as the petals on a lotus. But it was her hazel eyes that drew in Shina's attention the most. They should've been welcoming but were instead distant, even as her gaze locked squarely on Shina and nothing else.

"Hello there young traveler," She poke with a soothing, vibrant voice that could lull even the most hot-headed child to sleep, and then began to clasp her hands before the chest and taking a greeting bow of the head, "Have you come seeking divine enlightenment?"

 **Byakuren Hijiri ~ The Supposed Savior of Youkai-Kind**

"Enlightenment?" Shina fluttered her eyelashes as the woman's kindness juxtapositioned her standoffish aura, "I-I guess ya could say that...See, sorry to intrude and all, but..."

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave..." The woman's voice got a teensy bit more hostile while still maintaing perfect manners.

"Leave?!" Shina reeled back and her pupils shrank, "But I didn't even tell ya what I'm looking for!"

The woman hovered there, quiet, as the girl kept going at it, "If its because of what I said I didn't mean to offend, honest!"

"Religious preferences are hardly at the forefront of our concerns when it comes to you and your worrisome associate." A boisterous and captivating voice echoed out from behind Byakuren as a lovely gold rimmed violet silk cape unfurled from her sides like a pair of insect wings. The cape's owner spun out to the left of the priestess as though finishing participation in a magic trick, and then brandished a wooden stick known as a shaku down the stairs with the dashing spirit of a majestic knight.

The gallant woman was at least half a foot shorter than her compatriot, but her royal presence made her stand out a lot, lot more. With purple headgear designed like earmuffs covering her horn-styled platinum blonde hair, the woman stared down with fearless grey eyes and an unconquerable upright stance. Her cheekbones were rougher than the average woman's, and her facial features could otherwise be described as masculine. But her skin was as fair and silky as a maiden's, with her frame lithe and there being very little meat on the arms and chest.

Her choice of clothes consisted of a purple dress under a white vest with elaborate trimming, and that dashing collared cape mentioned before. But of greater note is the color of the cape, which signified that she was a high ranking noble of sort. And to top it off, she had a sword with a golden sun at the hilt sheathed at the hip.

 **Toyosatomimi no Miko ~ The Supposed Savior of Humankind**

" _Wha wha wha?! Why're they both here?!"_ Shina nearly tripped over herself in shock of the prince's stunning display of regality along with the general fact that she was even here. The Crown Prince of Shoutoku and the Buddhist Priest were on opposite sides of a religious coin, yet neither seemed bothered by their others close proximity. This puzzling conundrum tied in well to the very thing that had stuck in Shina's mind, and after getting over the initial shock of their teamwork she could try and piece the puzzle together.

"Hold the phone, ya knew I was coming?"

Miko closed her eyes amd ruffled her insides with a billowing chuckle, "But of course! Given the nature of that vampire's declaration it was only a matter of time!"

Continuing to chew the scenery as her compatriot could only stand and watch, the prince swung her left arm up into the sky and her cape began to flutter without a breeze as she proudly declared, "That's not to say that our chance encounter wasn't already predestined by the heavenly stars in the sky!"

Shina stared wide-eyed for a bit as the prince literally sparkled, but then the dry air's touch forced them shut. All she could say then was, "I can't tell if she's hitting on me or not..."

Mustering half an effort to squeeze her hands and bow, Shina put on an awkward grin and apologized, "I-I'm sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else."

"Even the prettiest face cannot disguise a stench most foul," Miko raised her head with assured pride in herself before lashing her shaku out so strongly that it lifted a gale across the temple grounds, nearly knocking Shina off her feet, "And the erroneous odor of the Phoenix of Destruction is one that cannot be mistaken!"

Shina stiffened up and narrowly glared at the prince, who remained unabashedly confident in themselves as this strange girl spoke up with muddlef confusion, "And where'd ya hear about that?!"

"Does it matter?" Miko chuckled before easing up, "Phoenix of Destruction? Elemental Overlord? Neither title differs enough to be of concern. In the end they are both a part of the same chain that linked our fates to this very moment!"

Bombastic though she may be, Miko's words spoke the truth. The fact that the two religious leadfers knew they were coming was undeniable yet worrying, but even after thinking on it for a bit Shina couldn't figure out why. After the prince's cape rested back onto her shoulders she glanced at her silently pondering companion and muttered respectfully, "Hijiri, you're welcome to speak at your leisure."

Byakuren looked over her shoulder and covered her mouth to whisper with increasing doubts, "Should we really be doing this? This child doesn't have a hint of malice surrounding her."

Miko grabbed the left corner of her cape and used it to cover her mouth, her eyes glinting as she gazed from the corner of them at Byakuren, "A person's true nature isn't just skin-deep. And regardless, this girl may hold the key to our salvation from this particular predicament."

Shina swung her hand up and hollered, "Heeeeellloooo? I can hear you both!"

With a swift, rugged cough Miko returned to where she was and remarked in a composed manner, "Yes yes, ahem..."

As her body roared with regality through every muscle, the Crown Prince's cape spread wide as she proclaimed, "We bear no ill-will towards you, otherworlder, but it would be in your best interests to leave!"

"Yer not telling me why!" Shina waggled her hands out and raised a brow to give the duo a stinky glare, "Seriously, did I kick over a statue on the way here?!"

"You've done nothing wrong, but we can't run the risk of that changing." Byakuren's honest tip-toeing around the subject just furthered the exasperation on Shina's face.

"Cooooome on, ya can't just leave it like that!"

Miko stepped to the plate and declared with no hint of malice, "I understand your confusion, but taking the time to explain wouldn't be good enough. You will just have to trust that our judgment is sound on this matter."

Shina clutched her fists down by the hips as her glare towards Miko grew fiercer, "You already said yer doing this cause of Alex, and that's reason enough for me not to listen!"

"Oh? So you trust in your associate's good-nature?" Miko raised her brows and slapped the shaku down upon her right palm, "Even if his actions were to cause the end of Gensokyo, would you still believe in him?"

"Damn straight I would!" Shina pumped her fist out and then swung it aside with fingers spread, making a stand of defiance upon the steps of the temple, "You haven't even met Alex and you think he's a monster! I dunno what lies you've been told, but Alex would never destroy this world!"

Byakuren looked to the girl with regret projecting from her eyes as she tried to rationalize the two's seemingly strange behavior, "We _do_ want to believe that he isn't what we believe him to be, that everything that happened back then wasn't just-"

"Hijiri that's enough," Miko sternly dug her feet into the ground and glared at her companion to silence her immediately, "That's none of her business. Look at her..."

The prince's shaku was brandished towards the girl's eyes, whose emerald glisten was consumed by a bright fire in the perception of the observant Taoist, "She's already chosen what to believe. That stance is a manifestation of her conviction, and a declaration of defiance to our desires."

Yet though it wouldn't be wrong to assume she was insulted, the Crown Prince instead grinned and swayed towards the girl, brandishing the shaku out before proclaiming with intrigue, "If this the path that you have chosen then we shall meet you on that rocky road with our own resolve!"

The regal glow around her amplified until it was brighter than the sun above, and her excitement tore away at the layers of stoicism formed throughout the years, "If your faith in that child is as iron clad as you say, then prove it in the heat of battle! For it is only when ideals clash that one can truly come to understand another!"

Byakuren silently nodded and dragged her right foot back across the ground, standing back-to-back with Miko with her fist swung out and her expression shedding all hesitation, "This is all for the safety of Gensokyo. Please don't hate us for doing this."

Shina lowered her head and rubbed the back of it while acting a bit tipsy, overwhelmed by the priest's sincere apology, "Awww schucks...I ain't gonna blame ya for wanting to protect your home..."

She swung her head up and her hair spread like a cape of her own as she reached for the cuff of her bracelet and proclaimed, "But ya ain't the only ones fighting for their home! I'm not gonna win to prove a point, but because I have to!"

With a quick activation of the Gunslinger Drive Shina twirled the pistols next to her hips and locked her fingers around the triggers. Miko brandished her shaku out one last time adjacent to Byakuren's fist and made a declaration of her resolve, "We'll drive you both out of Gensokyo if need be, but only if your desires cry no louder than a kitten's meow! So stand tall, child of omen, and let your desires roar!"

Miko burrowed herself into her cape and spun behind Byakuren, who took the lead with a spell card summoned from the unfurling of a rainbow sutra scroll before her waist. A passionate drive to win bloomed in her eyes and ignited a fire in her heart, allowing her to yell with all her strength as she took to the skies with her partner in tow, "O' blessed Buddha...please ensure my path remains righteous!"

The Spell Card shattered into neon sparkles as Byakuren held the scroll in an arc above her head, creating a bright sphere of white light bigger than her body, "Grand Magic 'Dharma's Light from Beyond'!"

Shina rose up to meet the challenge as the first bullets were unleashed from the holy capsule. Tiny white bullets with blue rims came out in rows of three and curved around the light's circumference like the blades of a windmill. Shina took aim at Byakuren and started firing off a few bullets of her own, but backed off when a second wave of bullets spewed out in a similar pattern a second later. Then came a third and a fourth wave, completing the windmill comparison.

Shina lowered to attack from a better angle, but then with a bright flash pin sized rays of light shot forth in twelve random directions from the sphere, one of them locking right onto her location. Shina flew up and left to avoid the lilac lasers that shone through. The angle the bullets emerged changed to keep after the girl's movement, and many of them battered against her body as she tried to get away.

More lasers pushed forth from the sphere, but were now joined by waves of light with feathery ruffles flying across the air like thinly blades. The waves left thin golden crescents in the surroundings like a mangled dome, then began to scroll clockwise and counterclockwise depending on where they were placed.

Shina weaved and curved her body around them, pointing her arms out at all times to assail Byakuren with fast firing bullets. A quick change to SMGs hastened the pace and damage, but the intense minefield of bullets weakened the accuracy of her shots.

She thrust forward and dove between a pair of bullet waves, leaning back and using her jet boots to propel away from the straight lasers. She rammed into a couple but squinted only slightly, focused more on proving her worth to her opponent. Thirty seconds were already past, but the high and mighty Crown Prince had been eeriely silent.

Yet as though so privy to Shina's thoughts that they were a book before her face, Byakuren suddenly called out to the Taoist while folding up her scroll, "Miko! Your turn!"

The priestess vanished with a flash step behind the Crown Prince, who hovered forward and swung her cape aside to put her elegance on full display. Shina lowered her guns for a moment as Miko summoned a Spell Card and proclaimed its name with grand authority, "Choice and Consequence 'A Path of Many Roads'!"

The left side of her cape turned blue while the right turned red, and from the shattered card emerged four orbs of white light that shot forth behind Shina. Miko turned around, her cape fluttering back to hide the intentions her cunning mind planned, while the orbs dissolved into comets that flew threw the air past where she stood.

"Be it red cape, or be it blue cape?" Miko leaned over her shoulder as the colors of her cape quickly faded, and the twinkling trails the comets left behind froze in place, "Choose the one you wish for!"

Shina couldn't move, but thankfully neither could the curved lasers that remained. Thus with no other choice but to play Miko's game, she hastily called out the color of her preference, "Blue cape! I pick the blue cape!"

"Mwahaha! Then death it is!" With a cobalt flash from her cape the comets' trails turned blue, with the two rows closest to Shina dissolving into bright colored arrowheads that collapsed towards her location all at once. Now free to move she sprinted ahead and clenched her triggers tight to give Miko everything she had at present while avoiding the bullets.

Some of them grazed her back however, and the second wave of bullets dispersed from the remaining trails. Getting point-blank to Miko was a dangerous play, for a multitude of blue-ish knives spread out in circular waves inches away from her body. Shina flipped back over the knives as a few scraped her limbs, then twirled around with arms hugging close in to avoid Byakuren's lingering lasers.

Miko sent out another set of orbs to summon more arrowheads to the battlefield, all while keeping the pressure up with her bursts of knives. The knives helped obscure the arrowheads, so even if Shina got the gist of how they moved it was hard to keep track along with dealing with everything else.

" _These two are working together in perfect harmony. Can't say I was expectin' that. But I ain't about to run away!"_

In a daring manuever Shina pressed forward through the center of the collapsing arrowheads, forcing them to intertwine where she once was. She then summoned a rocket launcher and fired at an aura wall she made point-blank to dispel the knives right as they emerged. With that opening given to her she summoned her shotguns and struck Miko with two pounding blasts.

Then she backed away as the curving lasers came around, switching to the safer SMGs for combat. Miko closed her eyes and guffawed, throwing her cape aside with a mere gesture of the hand before proclaiming, "Hijiri! I leave this to you!"

The cape coiled around her body and made her vanish behind Byakuren, who glided forth and resummoned the glowing sphere to continue her attack. Shina braced herself in a safe spot between the curved lasers and analyzed the battlefield for any further trickery on the two's part. Miko's knives were left behind, but they came out slower and at a less frequent rate.

" _I gotta take one of 'em down or its gonna get super hectic super fast!"_ Shina determined that between Byakuren and Miko, Byakuren's patterns seemed to be the most dangerous, as they covered a much larger area. So with the priestess in her sights Shina made great strides across the battlefield, her feet tracing streaks of light across the ground as she treated the air like an ice skating arena.

The waves of bullets spinning out and around from the sphere blended with the knives Miko left behind and were almost indistinguishable from one another. Just the act of blinking confused Shina enough to make her run into them when she wanted to avoid them.

But the smaller bullets were of little concern. The lasers both straight and curved needed her full attention, for they could strike like hot iron and wear her down quick. Tucking her limbs in at the proper times was a necessity, even if it meant losing the chance to strike against Byakuren.

Her body tended to slant while on the fly, throwing her vision into further confusion. Yet at times she decided to roll with it and spun around past multiple Danmaku at once. Through these perilous efforts, Shina managed to unload almost two-hundred SMG bullets onto Byakuren, who proved to be incredibly resilient.

" _Shoot! This monk's one tough mama!"_ Shina broke the first sweat by the time Byakuren had chosen to pass things off to Miko, who split the colors of her cape once more and posed the question with the exact same words and tone.

This time Shina squinted her eyes shut and didn't rely on instinct to make the call. After thinking about it for a few seconds she swung her right hand towards the right side and proclaimed, "I'm going for the red cape this time!"

"Then an even worse fate awaits you!" Miko said with the almost grim dialect of a supervillain as the crimson ran down her cloak like blood and became one with the streaks of light around her.

Shina went on the offensive as soon as she could, pummeling the proud prince with roughly four dozen bullets before the comets broke apart into trails of red arrowheads. The arrows all turned at once towards the center and glided through the air one row at a time, crossing in-between one another.

So far this actually seemed easier than the last choice, but it would soon be time for Shina to bite her tongue on such perilous assumptions. For not only were there swarms of blue knives to worry about, but now Miko added bombardments of red knives diagonally adjacent behind where the blue knives were.

" _Oh crap!"_ Shina's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she turned away and repelled twenty feet back in a single leap, leaving dozens of bullets to scratch at her body.

" _This is getting to be too much!"_ She turned around and summoned her rocket launcher to clear some of the bullets with the same tactic as before. Flying through the blast with a forward somersault she created a sniper rifle and took two sky quaking shots at Miko's body before the Danmaku returned.

She then rolled back and stood up, slipping between the intersecting arrowheads and a couple lasers with a quick and neat tucking in of the stomach. Her gasp afterwards was heavy and debilitating, leaving her unable to fight back for a couple seconds. But then she firmed her gaze upon the prince and swung her guns up to fire at least a dozen bullets into her.

Miko lost no conviction even after sustaining all this damage. Her posture was peerless, a statuesque form capable of invoking envy amongst the gods. Her smile hid a thousand ideas, but all of them were for the benefit of mankind. That is why she had to keep fighting. Not for herself, but for the people she admired.

"Hijiri, time to take the stage once more!" Miko swapped out upon finishing that declaration of trust, and Byakuren continued to add to the misery Shina had to endure by readding her bullets to this increasingly chaotic pattern.

The priestess' patience and good-will could not be ignored either. Her lack of words actually spoke volumes of how she felt about this predicament. She loves all living things in Gensokyo equally, from the tiniest of humans to the frailest of Youkai, so having no choice but to fight someone showed just how seriously she must have believed in the dangers Alex posed. Yet her expression showed no weakness. She concentrated solely on sending out her Danmaku without error, and kept a saintly air surrounding her body. Truly she wasn't just a saint, she was a superhuman as well.

The two leaders could easily butt heads on differing views of how to handle Youkai and humanity, but it was their shared love of Gensokyo that allowed them to work together. That's why their Danmaku was so fascinating to watch as it was harrowing to avoid. Slowly but surely they had built up to this beautiful and deadly storm of bullets, no doubt displaying the patience the two must have been forced to endure before this moment. And the relentlessness of the Danmaku showed just how determined they were to win.

Compared to the playful bouts beforehand, this battle swept them aside like peebles in a tidal wave, with the two riding that wave ready to overwhelm their target by any means necessary. But as much as Shina could respect their determination to fight to fulfill their desires, she wasn't hard-pressed to show even the slightest bit of hesitation because of that same respect.

She has been patient for a long time too, spending months and months between worlds with nothing but the pitch black depths of space and her closest companion/lover to keep her company. The wait has left its toll on her mind for sure, but it was a toll that made her stronger for it.

"That's why..." Shina gulped and took a deep long breath, barreling perfectly through the condensing swarm of Danmaku and setting her sights straight at Byakuren. She locked her fingers around the triggers of her guns and in a second had transformed them into shotguns.

Byakuren's disposition flinched for just a moment as Shina crossed her guns out in front and exclaimed passionately, "I'll show ya both why I can't back down!"

One more blast was all it took to shatter Byakuren's spell card and have her drifting back with an arm swung by her face as though acting as protection. Her face scrunched up with a hint of aggression, yet eased into an agape look of surprise that left her staring at an open palm.

Miko pushed forward and gently brushed her comrade back, declaring with an ease of mind to her words and actions, "Do not distress Hijiri, we haven't lost the advantage yet!"

The Crown Prince laid her hands out and continued from where Byakuren left off. But seeing how both her cape colors had been chosen, she changed up the pattern a little by summoning red-blue striped comets that dissolved into both kinds of bullets. The red and blue knives also came out at a greater frequency than before to compensate for the disappearance of all of Byakuren's Danmaku.

Miko had no words to say to her opponent, but her piercing gaze could be felt burrowing deep into Shina's very soul. Shina was distracted for a moment wondering what the Crown Prince had to say at this point, but the only way to find out was either to win or lose.

Thus she kept flying about, weaving between all the bullets while taking shots whenever possible. For even with all that there was to deal with, Miko was left fighting a one-man battle. Shina just needed to be patient and careful, and she'd hopefully succeed in a matter of seconds.

The amount of sweat on Shina's skin grew and glistened off the glow of the Danmaku she slipped between, but her vision remained a perfect 20-20. No bullets went to waste on either parties' end, but it was only a shame for Miko that she didn't have this amount of bullets to start with. Two more seconds later, and Miko's spell card shattered with a resounding clap.

The corner of her cape swung up in front of her body and she closed both eyes with a smile forming across the face. Shina floated far away and panted to catch her breath, but was soon shaken by the sudden eruption of haughty laughter from Miko. The prince had her head leaned back and the shaku laid evenly upright against her chest, letting her laughter echo up into the heavens.

Byakuren stood by her side and didn't seem bothered by her comrade's outburst. In fact, something like this had to be normal for her by now. Miko stopped on the spot and swung her cape aside with a swift raise of the arm and declared, "You've put on a good display of spirit thus far outsider. But we're far from through!"

In perfect unison the two faced each other and raised their respective objects of importance, creating a unified Spell Card that burned with a rainbow fire. After ripping the card apart by pulling their limbs back, Byakuren zipped behind Miko and smashed her fist against an open palm, sending a shockwave across the skies.

Miko grabbed onto the shoulder of her cape and flung it aside in one tug, then went right for the hilt of her sword and began to pull it out. Byakuren leaned forward and swung her fists down, gathering plenty of energy within her body as the strength of her aura became amplified beyond natural human limits. The energy poured out like the radiance of the sun, while the symbols from her sutra scroll became grafted onto her body.

All the while, the symbol of a lotus was traced into the air below the two as they stood firmly in the center of its blossoming visage. Miko pulled the sword straight from the sheath with an unflincing smirk, and the shine from her blade gushed out and eclipsed the light from Byakuren.

"This is..."

"The strength of **our** will!"

"Last Word!" From the four corners of the lotus a set of different colored gradient leaves unfurled out and shone bright, keeping the rapidly approaching night from truly taking hold over Gensokyo.

Ready and raring to fight with all their might, the two let out a fierce roar towards Shina, whose heart raced as she couldn't help but smile at their overwhelming beautiful display, "Forbidden Unification 'The Bond of Buddhism and Taoism'!"

There was no pause between the Spell Card's declaration and the Danmaku it unleashed. Flooding forth from the light eclipsing Miko's body were hundreds upon hundreds of pure orbs of light, each one colored either yellow, green, blue or purple. They flew fast and spread out to cover even the areas above the forest surrounding all sides of the temple, leaving little time for Shina to get moving.

After taking some bullets to the face she picked up her pace and agile-y glided around the bullets as she rounded the battlefield, trying to find an opening to shoot at Miko. But the prince's presence was hard to determine amongst the sea of lights, so the wiser option seemed to be going after Byakuren.

But before Shina could even blink, Byakuren's body bolted around the light surrounding her ally and traced the image of a top-down lotus out of peerless pearl Danmaku. The Danmaku split off in a multitude of waves across the battlefield, encompassing areas that Miko's pattern could not hope to touch. The moment the Danmaku split off, Byakuren was off and running again, this time to create a five-pointed star.

" _Her speed's incredible...! C-Can I even hit her now?!"_ Shina was shaking with both worry and excitement, and her lips quivered into a tiny smile. She kept on the move without pause, but was constantly running into Danmaku in spite of her best attempts to dodge.

Yet it was all running and no fighting for poor Shina, who feared reaching her arms out to fire her weapons with all the Danmaku about. The two hadn't even pulled everything out of their bag of tricks yet, as not long after thinking otherwise Shina was nearly singed by a straight laser fired from the edges of Miko's light.

The lasers lingered for a while as two curved beams snaked between each one, making the whole product resemble a strand of DNA. After the first lasers faded the next ones emerged not too far apart, one of them grazing Shina on the back as she took a dive.

" _Gah! This is crazy!"_ Her mind was feeling fuzzy and it became difficult to concentrate on the three different types of Danmaku all at once on TOP of trying to peg her opponents. It was far too risky to try close range tactics like the shotgun, and there was too many bullets to attempt a 'Bomb'.

In fact, the Last Word seemed specifically designed to render all of her usual tactics worthless. There was absolutely no way they could have planned this so far in advance, meaning that it was something Miko came up with during the last Spell Card. That made Byakuren's contribution all the more impressive, for they hadn't exchanged a word.

And speaking of the priested, the petals of her lotus began to glow and funnel energy into Miko's leaves. Each of their tips unleashed a plume of red and peach light into the sky, then sprayed and spun two streams of blue paper seals like a set of sprinklers.

There was no point getting too worked about yet another type of Danmaku being added to fray. Instead Shina focused all her brain power into coming up with a solution to her predicament. She was dodging Danmaku fine enough at the moment, but there'd come a point where she'd slip up and take plenty of unnecessary hits.

" _This battle's gonna drone on and on until I collapse from exhaustion..."_ As she felt the desire to sigh, she pursed her lips shut and was struck by a spark of inspiration.

" _Drone...drone...Drone_ _ **s**_ _!"_ She snapped her fingers out and then bent her arms just a little out from her hips. Reaching deep into her memories of watching super robot anime, she created two triangular probes with a sleek metallic sheen to float beside her.

"Perfect!" She said with pride in her craftsmanship before laying flat out and opening the probes. They twirled around and fired a continuous stream of small laser beams at the center of the battlefield, focusing primarily on Miko's general location.

As long as Shina kept her eyes on the two the drone's aim would remain precise. Now she was free to dodge and weave without worry, for if this Last Word behaved like the battle with Mokou and Kaguya did, then beating just one person will be enough to win.

Now neither side said a word. They fought with their bodies and bullets, making it unclear as to who was close to succumbing to the weariness of this prolonged fight. The Danmaku became a spectacle for those who happened to catch it from afar. No one but those who fought understood why this battle was happening, yet they couldn't unglue their eyes from it. 

It felt like this dance could last from night until day with neither side tiring. Was this a testament of their stubbornness to quit? Or perhaps it was all a masquerade waiting to be broken at the slightest hint of leeway.

One bullet. One bullet could decide this duel, and the fate of all Gensokyo. Byakuren and Miko had waited for years for this moment, and victory seemed well in their grasp.

Shina's eyes began to droop and her body descended, but she sprung back up and kept flying. Her drones' pace was slowing, but their aim didn't drop a percent. She wanted to win, but what mattered more was that she was having fun. And even if they tried to force her and Alex to leave upon her defeat...she'd do everything in her power to convince them he was a good person.

Miko closed her eyes and began to hum, waiting for her ally to come in close to murmur, 的t seems...this was simple meant to be.

Byakuren paused and her expression became heavy for a moment, yet that great weight was lifted easily by her smile. She raised her head to face the light of the setting sun, and breathed a sigh of relief, 的'm so glad...its finally over.

Shina's probes broke apart, but fired one last parting shot at the stalwart prince. It hit the moment a smile crossed her face. All that Danmaku they worked so hard to create broke down into twinkling stardust and fell to the ground as snow would.

Miko fell floating towards the temple's roof on her back, but was caught and carried to the entrance in a flash by Byakuren. Shina hovered in mid-air with blurry vision and shaky knees. This was a most unbelieveable victory, yet it almost felt undeserved.

But the battle wasn't over. The time for action had passed, now words were required to win the two's trust over. Thus with a return to her basic form she dropped upon the steps and dashed right on up to the top.

Miko was back on her feet in a second. Her clothes were ruffled, though still shone bright, and that impeccable smile of hers was no worse for the wear.

Shina wasted no time in getting to the nitty gritty of the matter, 哲ow will you pleaaaaaase listen to me?

Fufufu, there's no need to waste time conversing. Miko decreed, her nonchalant attitude causing Shina's patience to snap and her face to turn bright red.

Oh come ON! Why the hell not?!

Miko's cape reappeared like magic upon her shoulders as she laid her shaku up against her left one and proclaiming, 迭ejoice! ...

She paused with mouth agape for a moment and then relaxed into a natural smile as she asked, 的'm sorry, I neglected to ask for your name.

Flustered but her anger subdued, Shina fluttered her eyelashes and responded, 填-Umm...Shina, Shina Aurora.

Ah, what a lovely name. Thank you. Miko nodded her head a couple times and then returned to her bombastic posture as though that pause never exused.

Rejoice, Shina Aurora! For you have captivated the legendary Prince Shoutoku with your fiery, passionate resolve!

Shina tilted her head aside to look at Byakuren and ask while she had a finger weakly pointed at the prince, 的s she always like this?

With a rough cough to try and put Miko in line, the priestess stepped forward and kindly explained, 的ts complicated, but...Miko had a reason for paying very, very close attention to you during our duel.

After composing herself Miko tried to coax Shina's muddled mind with a more reliable explanation behind her motives, 添ou see, I have the power to hear a person's innermost desires. A prolonged battle such as the one we had was necessary to pressure you and see if your spirit clung true to those desires throughout.

The prince bowed her head slightly and acted a little more like a commoner as she apologized, 擢orgive that bout of deafness towards your cries back then. Had I known your reasons for being here were so sincere, I never would've initiated that duel.

Byakuren clasped her hands together and hung her head in a similar manner, but her apology came across more as begging for forgiveness, 的 am so very sorry for troubling you Ms. Aurora. If there's anything I can do to earn your forgiveness...

Whoa hey, don't get ahead of yourselves there! Shina swung her hands around and her face remained red from embarrassment, 的 ain't mad at either of ya now!

Miko swung back upright almost _too_ quickly, while Byakuren took a few seconds to stare blankly at the girl. Shina wiggled her lips together and tilted her head to give the back of it a gentle rub, 的 mean...I just still don't get it, ya know? Ya started all this cause of Alex and I still ain't any closer to know why that is.

And its for the best that you don't. It all turned out to be nothing more than a paranoid farce... Miko firmly stood by her belief in that matter, but had one thing to make clear, 展ell, at least as far as you being the enabler of his destructive behavior is concerned. Whether the boy can be trusted beyond that is something we've left that tanuki to judge for herself.

Tanuki...? Shina wasn't confused by who they were referring to more so why they brought 塗er up in this context.

When we saw you both descend from the skies we saw fit to send a warning out to some of the more active members of Gensokyo's hierarchy. Not many were privy to our requests, but the vampire and the Moriya goddesses did decide it was in their best interest to get involved. Miko rested a hand against the side of her head and showed a rare moment of exasperation through her sigh.

Though I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised they decided to handle these matters in their own way...

 _Then...Miko musta figured Alex and I would've split up at some point. Goodness gracious, good thing this wasn't a deadlier trap..._ Shina wanted to piece more of the puzzle together, but started to grow worried about Alex.

Ummm...so when ya say a tanuki's gonna judge Alex...

Just stick around and relax for now Ms. Aurora. I'm positive they'll be finishing up shortly and returning here. Miko plopped onto the ground in a criss-cross pose and breathed in the fresh air, letting out a pleasurable sigh.

Besides, its doubtless that the three of us still have stuff we wish to discuss. Perhaps we can help you with that Cosmos Drive problem that's been at the forefront of your mind all this?

Shina blinked a few times but then succumbed to Miko's request the moment the prince patted the ground in front with her shaku. The girl dropped, and Byakuren sat down on her knees to join them. At least this way, Shina figured, she can try and fish for whatever information the two might be willing to let slip...

 _Next Time: Mamizou's Side of the Story_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Hidden Truths, Obvious Lies**

Back in the forest the tension was so thick that not even an oni wielding a mountain-sized knife would be able to cut it. Alex's eyes contained a wildfire of confusion as Mamizou looked at him back with that curvy little smile of hers. She did a damn good job hiding her intentions for one so elderly, Alex thought, not realizing that very age is just _why_ she was proficient in secrecy.

The tanuki tended to her smoke pipe every couple seconds, the puffs she let out just adding to the infuriation surrounding Alex. And the captive Nue behind him was caught in the crossfire of this confrontation, whistling her way through it with an attitude as cool as a cucumber.

Eventually the disharmonious noise grated on Alex's ears and he spun around with his fist swung back and proclaimed, "Will you shut the hell up already?!"

She puckered her lips and her whistling flatlined into silence. He then grit his teeth and let out a hot hiss between them as Mamizou broke her silence to reprimand him in a nonchalant manner, "Ey ey...weren't the bindings not enough? Then you gotta go and yell at her like some misbehavin' child."

Alex whipped his right pointer finger straight beside the shoulder and narrowly glared the tanuki in the eyes to boomerrang that reprimanding right back, "I don't want to hear that from the bad parent enabling her."

"Ohohoh?" Her cheeks glistened a jolly red as she waved her cigar out and said, "Yer flatterin' me 'ere!"

His eyelids shut just a fingernail's depth apart as he wondered once again just what puppy he must've kicked to deserve this kind of hell. Then, with zero tolerance remaining, he just outright told Mamizou, "Quit getting your jollies off you old hag, and tell me how you know about that title!"

"Yes yes, guess we oughta get down to brass tacks, as the youngins tend to say." As she wiggled her pipe around to loosen unnecessary ashes, Alex's expression slumped into something that looked molded out of mud.

" _What kids would_ _ **ever**_ _be caught dead saying that this day and age?"_

Since she seemed to be compliant, Alex crossed his arms against the chest and eased up just enough to present a respectable, neutral expression to Mamizou. After she had cleaned her pipe out and took another smoke she gleamed at the boy from the corner of her eyes and politely asked, "But ya mind lettin' my friend go first? She ain't gonna bite, promise!"

Alex growled internally and looked back. Nue's smile was so big that her eyes were shut, and just staring at it made his eyebrows twitch. So he pulled away from that unpleasant sight and snapped his right fingers up, and the roots unraveled in a second.

She sprung up and glided over to Mamizou, spinning around to perch and hover on her stomach above their right shoulder. She continued to smile and pressed her hands against her cheeks to make it even bigger. Alex tried to look at Mamizou, but kept gravitating towards Nue.

She was deliberately puffing her cheeks up to act like a nuisance, but it wasn't flying for Alex. He shook his head and then forced himself to stare at the tanuki with little recourse but to groan in a gravely manner.

Mamizou kept smoking the pipe for a few seconds, pulling it away to give him the occasional glance. At a certain point he widened his mouth and held his arms out, garnering an eyebrow raise from the tanuki before she kept going.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" Alex yelled while digging his feet into the ground.

She popped her pipe out and leaned back with percolating eyes, then twisted a pinky finger around in her left ear to say, "'M sorry, but could ya speak up? These 'ere ears of mine ain't what they used to be."

"Phoenix of Destruction. You know about it. How?" Everything he said was punctuated with growing irritation, but none of it could even tickle the tanuki's slick expression out of place.

With a few terse nods she plucked her finger out and flicked the loose earwax aside, then crossed her arms and hovered them before her stomach with an offer, "Say, how'd ya like to play a little game first?"

Alex stiffened his lower lip up and tickled the bottom of his chin, "Oh geez let me think..."

He then swung his arms out and yelled, "How about NO?!"

With a jolly, homely grin the tanuki waved her left fingers out and whispered, "Aww schucks, don't be a stick in the mud."

Alex reeled back and clenched his arms up against the chest he hissed out, "You just want to play Danmaku in some vain attempt to be hip with the new kids."

"Ohohoho! Well there ain't no survivin' the changing times lest ya keep up with the trends!" Mamizou took the boy's aggression in stride by pretending they were having an actual conversation, and flexed her vocabulary a little to get him seeing things her way, "Sides, maybe a little play will help ya vent your frustrations out on me."

"...So you're offering to be my punching bag." Alex interest had certainly been ensnared, judging from his growing smile.

"Rather violent way of putting it but sure, guess I can play the part today." Mamizou's head lowered and her glasses got a faint gleam, which when combined with her tiny smirk got Alex suspecting her intentions right away.

"Hey, you better not be trying anything funny..." He looked down and just happened to see something small and round dangling off the edge of her sleeve. It was made of glass and filled with smoke.

Her smirk got wide and wavy as she gave him a jolly laugh and said, "Yer not very well-informed when it comes to tanuki's, ain't ya?"

Alex swung his right arm up to protect his nose and mouth as the ball dropped onto the floor and shattered, spreading a thick cloud of smokescreen to cover the mischievous duo. The boy sensed nothing peculiar about the smoke and blew it aside with a gale kicked up by his arm, but the two had already vanished.

He looked around at the forest trees and saw some leaves ruffling, followed by a playful echo bouncing off the branches, "Ohoho! Think you can find me?"

"Another game of hide and seek, seriously?" Alex leaned back with a tired snarl of the lips and raised a clenched fist adjacent to his chest, "I swear if you start throwing your dirty old dentures at me..."

"Your mouth is crass, but d'you got the balls of brass to match?" Mamizou's wit was followed by the ring of a Spell Card being activated, and the declaration of its name, "Lets see how ya hold up to my 'Mischief Troupe of the Forest' in the meanwhile."

Alex turned back to hunch down, keeping his ears perked to detect even the slightest hint of the tanuki's movements. His hands were on fire, but the crackles weren't enough to distract.

"Alright, tanuki's can disguise themselves as anything, so there's no point trying to sense her energy. Sound's all I've got for now..." He took a couple steps forward and looked around. There were no signs of bullets, which was troubling, but not as much as the fact that silence pervaded the forest.

"Where are you Mamizou..." His murmuring was halted by the rapid ruffling of leaves from above, which made him spin around and look up. His vision then became mostly obscured by a sleek onyx cylinder that konked him square in the nose a second later.

His head was forced back, followed by his feet leaving the ground. Then before his eyes could close in response to the pain he had collided with a nearby tree, dislodging dozens of newborne leaves from the branches. After sliding to the ground he picked himself up and rubbed the red on the tip of his nose while his vision got wobbly.

" _What. The HELL. Was that...?!"_ He'd find out soon enough, as that same object came swinging down from the tree tops attached to a wooden stick of indiscernable length.

He threw himself at the ground and looked back, watching the object smash into the side of the tree and break off some bark. It quickly slid back into the canopy and disappeared. Alex stood up with his jaw almost detaching as he tried to comprehend how _blatantly_ ridiculous what he saw was in the context of a Spell Card duel.

"Hammers?! Freakin'...HAMMERS?!" His whole face turned red as he shook his fist skyward and yelled, "Hey tanuki, what's the big idea?!"

"Huh? Somethin' the matter?" She replied in a faintly ignorant manner.

"Don't give me LIP, I'm talking about your hammers!"

"Oh those? Yer raisin' a fuss over _that_ after likely taking yer fair share of licks from knives?"

"There's a damn world of difference between throwing utensils and blunt weaponry!" Right as he said this another hammer swung down and knocked him down with a bonk on the scalp, then kept its momentum going to escape his notice.

He punched the ground with both fists and pushed right up with head swung back, throwing a kink into his spine. The leaves were rustling to suggest the perpetrator's escape, but there was no hint of the hammer's presence nor of the person wielding it.

Alex rubbed the back of his head with an energyless growl and was grateful the pain didn't even register as a 1 on his scale. But it was an 10 on his "what's got me annoyed right this moment" scale. 'Was', because Mamizou's playful attitude rubbing salt in the wound would quickly bump it up to an 11.

"They're flyin' through the air for you to dodge. Ain't that Danmaku at its core?"

As much as it pissed him off to admit it, Mamizou wasn't breaking any rules. A Spell Card did go off, the sound was there and everything. But instead of letting her have that victory, he snapped back with an unnecessarily fierce taunt, "Oooooooh when I get my hands on you tanuki I'll be turning your tail into a fur coat!"

"A fur coat in Spring? What a gaudy fashion sense ya got dere."

Alex's right eye started twitching just as not one, but two hammers came barreling down at the sides of his head. Being sandwiched by two equally powerful blunt objects left his brain rattled and a terrible ringing trapped in his eardrums, and when they were pulled away he stumbled forth a couple steps.

His senses recovered fast, right in time to hear the faint giggling of an energetic girl in the treetops, their pitch just the slightest bit higher than Nue's. He rubbed the side of his head and let the throbbing subside before getting a move on, refusing to be a sitting duck for the tanuki to play around with.

"So what's the deal tanuki? Too scared to come and face me yourself so you sent your kind after me instead?" He kept his head on a steady pivot as he engaged the enemy in conversation.

"Don't get yer britches in a bunch over nuthin'. Its just a game, there ain't no need for me to stretch my legs too much 'ere."

The forest carried her voice around so much that it was impossible to pinpoint its exact location. Alex could now see why she made it her perrogative to ambush him here. She was the master of this domain, and he was but the lowly court jester stumbling around for her amusement. And her perception of how events played out was so precise that she mocked him for his realization the very moment it clicked.

"You still got four other senses, maybe you'd have better luck tastin' where I've been, ohoho!"

But perhaps because his brain had gotten rocked so hard he wasn't thinking normally, Alex didn't bother with insults. He instead dug his heels into the ground and stopped himself by swinging his arms out and leaning out, filling his with the air compressed down around him. Then with confidence he told Mamizou an undeniable truth, "Who needs senses when I got elements?!"

He raised a circular part of the ground and used it to swivel around while thrusting his arms at the canopy. Dozens of air bullets blew off tree branches and leaves, but not enough to get a clear view of what devilry was going on up above. So he doubled the pace and output, becoming a human tornado.

Soon after he did that though the air bullets started getting ricocheted right back like baseballs, clocking the sides of his body and slowing him down. When he had clear visibility of his surroundings he halted in place, entangled by the leaves that got caught up in his rotation, and looked over his shoulder. A hammer came flying in aiming for his back, so he leapt up and flipped backwards, hoping to catch a glimpse of his enemy.

But instead another hammer came barreling straight down onto his face, planting his head square in the ground and erecting the rest of his body upright like a telephone pole. That same kind of giggling came through for a longer time, but once Alex pulled himself free and spit the dirt from his teeth the person responsible made a made dash out of there.

Those hammers may not have been real, but they still wore him down as much as getting hit by one-hundred Danmaku would. Their existence was also simply illogical. There's no such thing as a hammer not made of metal or stone, Alex knew deep down, even in Gensokyo. Yet he couldn't sense them.

" _Dealing with those thugs' is a waste of time. I need to find the head honcho of this operation..."_

"Where could I be, where could I be? Hmmm, am I in the trees? Perhaps I'm amongst the leaves? Ain't a doubt I could even be under yer knees?"

Alex instinctively looked down, but then swung back up and declared in embarrassment, "S-Shut up! And stop reading my mind already!"

"Eh? I'm just doin' general chit-chat to pass the time. No need to get so persnickety."

"Maybe I wouldn't HAVE to be if everyone in Gensokyo stopped treating me like a child!"

"Yer so used to being at the top of the food chain ain't ya? But is it so wrong to wind up back at the bottom and be forced 't rely on yer basic instincts for a bit?"

Alex paused and closed his eyes for a moment, deflating his body into some mangled slump as he gave her words a brief moment of his time, _"I can't tell if she's mocking me or not..."_

With that tiny bit of self-reflection Alex also began to recognize that perhaps what was infuriating him the most about all this was how the tanuki greeted him. He'd been recognized as the Elemental Overlord before. That was annoying, but not that big of a deal. But that other "title", that horrible, undignified trio of words...It got his blood boiling like magma.

That's the kind of greeting you give to someone if you hate them, but nothing about Mamizou's actions suggested malicious intent. She was playing her game with the dangling snippets of truth used as the perfect bait to ensnare the boy into galloping along to the beat of her belly drum.

Biting his teeth and swallowing his pride like a solid stone, Alex squirmed for a moment before he asked "Will...will you actually give me the answers I seek when this is over?"

"Eh? Told ya to speak up before didn't I? Ohohoh, age is a terrible thing."

With a rough scoff, he chose to interpret her joking around as her saying "Yes". Perhaps he did it out of desperation, but he didn't care. The circumstances were leading him to believe that the Cosmos Drive being here held a double-meaning. This wasn't meant to just close out Shina's journey, but his as well. Mamizou Futatsuiwa, out of the incalculable trillions upon trillions of people in the universe, may very well hold the key to the identity of the mastermind who had troubled the two's search for the Cosmos Drive.

Now his heart couldn't remain stiff with rage. It rushed with an undying yearning for the truth, and as he swung his left hand out and parted his legs he looked to the trees and declared, "I'm going to get the answers one way or another. So brace yourself Mamizou Futatsuiwa, because I'm coming to find you!"

"...Ohohoho! Watch that fire in yer eyes, lest ye turn this forest to ash."

A hammer swung down from the trees like a gulliotine towards his face, but he threw himself to the right and rolled off the ground to escape it. Another hammer came falling right away, but he flattened on the ground just so it'd graze over his back. Then he got up and turned around, where the previous hammer hovered in place and then changed its course to come at him again, with the possibility of it intersecting with the other being 100%.

Alex leapt back and let them collide, where the vibration shook some leaves from the trees. He threw a couple air balls up to distract his aggressors and then ran ahead to hopefully shake them off. But only a second into his sprint a glance back showed the hammers in pursuit side-by-side. He cut to the right and rounded the tree trunk, only for the hammers to make the turn on the dime just as fast.

He rounded the tree a couple times with the hammers keeping pace, then stopped and pounded the trunk with his elbow to rattle his pursuers and escape again.

" _Come on, there has to be some way to find Mamizou..."_ Alex looked back at the hammers coming after him again, and had to silently compliment the two's lack of tiring. But he couldn't be on the run forever...

" _Ya need to think of something that'd make you feel as relaxed as you were after that massage. THEN ya'll be in the proper mindset to dodge Danmaku..."_

Alex's eyes widened and he instantly stood still and closed them. Time seemed to slow to a crawl to allow his thoughts the chance to focus on what was necessary. His chest puffed as he filled his lungs to full capacity, pushing out all stress with a single breath as the forest went silence and the image of Shina became focused in his mind. He didn't lose focus to lucidity and could feel the tranquility spreading out across his body.

The hammers got close to his head, but he ducked forward in the nick of time to avoid them. Taking in a deep breath to keep himself in this state of mind, he was able to better sense the movements of the weapons by feeling the air being pushed as they descended. He swiveled his body around without moving his feet and kept them from coming in contact, and then stretched the reach of his senses across the entire forest.

That was when he caught the whiff of something foul. Smoke, the smoke of the tanuki's pipe, and it was coming straight from the north. He widened his eyes and said "Found you!" before zipping straight along the thin trail of smoke, rising right up under the tree it came from to find the tanuki lounging with her back against the tree.

She widened her eyes and Alex smirked, then drew his sword to slice the branch down at the end without touching Mamizou. The branch and her dropped to the ground, but her tail was firm and fluffy enough to cushion the fall. Alex landed and pointed the tip of his blade at her face to declare triumph, "And _that's_ why smoking's bad."

The tanuki twirled her pipe around between two fingers and smirked as her body started to break apart into a familiar distortions of static, "Yer right..."

As Alex's face turned a perplexing shade of white 'Mamizou' turned back into Nue, who was using her trident in a slant to act as the tanuki's tail while a tiny stick had been disguised as the pipe. She winked and poked her tongue out to say, "But that's pretty much your fault to begin with."

Before he could speak the cold touch of metal adhered itself to the back of his shoulder to freeze him up. He peered back and Mamizou was behind him with a sword shaped like her leaf hat that had smoke seeping from the tip. A cold sweat dripped off of the boy's left brow and trickled down his face, dropping only once he swallowed a wad of saliva.

She still had that playful look in her eye, and it was reflected in the surprising choice of words she chose to say upon tilting her head right, "Congratulations, looks like you've won."

She whipped her sword back and it transformed back into a pipe. Or maybe it became a pipe. The mystery of its true form was the least of Alex's concerns at the moment. He grit his teeth, closed his eyes and scoffed tiredly at the tanuki, "You have a pretty strange way of 'congratulating' someone."

Nue floated right up and poked her head over his shoulder to whisper in his ears, "Hey hey, you found who you were looking for, it just wasn't the real deal!"

She pulled away before Alex could throw a nasty glare at her, then kicked back with her arms folded behind the head and said, "So hey, its been a lot of fun but I think I should go let Hijiri know what's happening now. Bye!"

She was off faster than a fly swept up in a hurricane, and to that Alex could only whisper 'Good riddance'. He then looked to the tanuki and asked as she lazily smoked her pipe, "So is there going to be anymore fooling around, or...?"

"That bit of persevering at the end dere was pretty impressive, not gonna lie," She poked her head up with glasses glistening and said, "But ya never did figure out all the tricks to my Spell Card."

With a garish brush of the hand out Alex closed his eyes and sighed the answers out, "Nue used a Seed to disguise herself but still smelled like smoke from earlier, then you had your tanuki thugs wield those strange hammers from the shadows while you hid out of sight."

Mamizou closed her eyes and shrugged, "Eh, two outta three ain't bad."

"Does it matter, really?" He groaned.

"Course it does. Those two 'ittle scrappers took the time outta their busy day to come and play along. At least give 'em the chance to say 'Hello'." Her 'old hag' style of pleading wore him down in an instant, but only cause he wanted to move things along.

"Fine fine, I'll say 'Hi' to your tanukis."

"Ehh? Who said anything about workin' with my fellow kin on this? No no no, the two I'm talkin' bout have a more vested interest in ya being here than you realize," Leaving the boy confused for now Mamizou turned back and pinched her thumb and pointer finger in the mouth to release a shrill whistle, "Fun's over for now you two! Come on down!"

The tree leaves ten feet away shook up and two figures dropped down, neither of whom Alex could've possibly guessed would be here, especially not together. The girl on the left was a long blue-haired child with a haughty posture and cocky 'take on the world' sort-of smirk. Her white button-up blouse with a red bow on the collar, blue dress, brown-lace up boots, sleek white apron with a rainbow-pattrerned shark link around the rim, and black hat decorated with two peaches and leaves made her come across as someone of great importance. But honestly, she's just a delinquent who got into Heaven through familial connections. As Alex could bother to recall, she was...

 **Tenshi Hinanawi ~ A Celestial Too Caught Up In Mischief**

The other girl looked even younger than Tenshi, but had a more mature air about her...Though that may be due in part to her lack of visible emotions. With her mouth opened no bigger than a pin needle, this young gal with waist-length lavender hair stared straight at the boy with blank eyes of a similar color. She was dressed well with a blue plaid blouse adorned with four buttons of different shapes, while her legs were covered by a salmon colored, pumpkin-shaped skirt lined with holes that alternated between smiling and frowning faces. Floating by the side of her face was a mask made to look like a strange puckering lipped monkey. Alex couldn't explain why he felt sad looking at this girl, but it didn't distract him from recalling her name.

 **Hata No Kokoro ~ Youthful Heart Divided Amongst 66 Masks**

There were tons of questions to ask regarding how and why Tenshi was here, let alone why Kokoro would be too, but Alex just flung his arms at his sides and decided it wasn't worth the effort to ask even one. Instead he just kept staring at the two, noticing that they were carrying around those strange hammers from before. Tenshi had hers swung over the shoulder, while Kokoro kept hers clenched tight in both hands and lowered to cover part of her face.

The Celestial didn't start off on a good foot as she blurted out with zero tact, "Hey tanuki, is this guy really the Elemental Overlord? I can't tell him apart from the rest of the garden variety humans in the village..."

Alex didn't think a response was warranted for the most blatant attempt at getting him riled up since he arrived in Gensokyo, so he just crossed his arms and started squinting at the hammers some more. Mamizou chuckled and replied, "Looks can be deceivin', I should know. Ya did yer part well though Ms. Celestial, as did you little Kokoro."

The boy's gaze happened to glide over to the tsukumogami, who flinched and hugged the hammer tighter. After a big shrug Tenshi commented in a tone as flat as her chest, "Yeah yeah, I guess so. But is this really all there is to it after all the crap that-"

"Just leave the rest to little ol' me. I'll be sure to compensate ya handsomely for yer time," Mamizou's interruption was rather unlike her, but she kept speaking along as though it was natural conversation, "Oh! But before ya skedaddle."

She whipped her pipe up and with a quick circular flick sat back and looked at Alex's dumbfounded expression as the hammers turned into tightly-knit bundles of the most basic spherical Danmaku ever. As they were dissolving, a single strange seed plopped into the two's open palms.

"Think ya can give those back to Nue?"

Tenshi squeezed hers tight and swung the fist out before the chest before saying, "Fine, but then Kokoro and I are outta here!"

The Celestial patted the frozen stiff tsukumogami on her back roughly twice before she reacted with a muted gasp and turned her head. She coiled her fist and socked Tenshi in the side, but still didn't say a word. Alex was worried he was to blame for that, for his hostile demeanor was surely venom to a Youkai of emotions.

But it'd become no concern of his in a moment, for the two parted ways with him and Mamizou by flying right out of the forest. After that the tanuki sat right down with legs crossed and her bushy tail wrapped up by her side. She patted the ground and quietly insisted, "Sit, sit, we got plenty to discuss."

He was compliant to a fault, and rested his keister down just a couple feet away. With his hands planted on both knees he looked the tanuki square in the eyes and watched as she rested her pipe down atop one leg and leaned forward, asking him in no broader terms, "Well, whatcha waiting for? Ask me anything."

"Anything?" Alex raised his brows, having a knack for knowing when something sounded too good to be.

But rest assured, Mamizou was there to alleviate any concerns with little more than a chuckle to suggest hesitation, "Yes yes anything. S'long as I know the answer at least..."

"Fine, since you're being so generous Mamizou..." He crossed his arms and fiddled around with his fingers for a bit while thinking of where to start. After clicking his tongue twice he came up with an obvious topic.

"...Remilia, Kanako, Eirin...I could understand them knowing about me. But what's **your** deal?" Alex thrust his right pointer finger out hard enough to kick up a gale that matched his growing ferocity on the subject, "Actually scratch that...! You know WAY more than they did!"

"Ohohoho well..." Mamizou picked her fallen pipe up and wiggled her lips into a cheeky smile, "For once in 'er life that vampire knew when to keep a secret."

"Remilia _knew_ too?" He didn't know what was more hard to fathom. That, or the fact that _Remilia_ actually knew when to keep her yap shut.

"The whole lot of 'em knew actually. Along with Ms. Celestial, and little Kokoro, and the whole Buddhist and Taoist gang too..."

"Stop, just...stop..." Alex waved his hand out and looked away. His head started to hurt, while his skin broke out in a rash of sweat, gripped by an undeniable sense of paranoia. He had avoided hearing that name for so long, but here it was as commonplace as something you'd read in a newspaper article. Why? Why? **WHY?!** That agonizing screams of confusion terrified the boy.

"...Lets take two steps back before we take another forward eh?" Mamizou reached out and rubbed the boy's back a little to try and soothe his pained muscles, backing away only once even a hint of his gaze reached her.

His eyes were still shrunk with a crippling sense of dread sweeping his mind, but somehow being in the tanuki's gentle presence made everything tolerable enough to continue. She flipped her hand out and used her leg for support, posing a question of her own, "This may seem a tad outta the blue but...how's your time in Gensokyo been treating ya?"

He crossed his tensed arms back up and got to thinking, but his answer came about in seconds, "...Gensokyo's a nice place with bizarre as hell rules and an even more bizarre cast of characters..."

With a long-winded sigh he whispered under his breath, "But...I'd be hard-pressed to say that anyone I've met's actually a bad person. They're just...different than what I'm used to dealing with."

"Cause yer not used to people givin' ya much lip back all the time I can imagine..." Mamizou chuckled before taking a quick smoke break, leaving the pipe wiggling around to accentuate her point, "Not sayin' nothin' bad about yer character either by that. Just means you've got spunk, and plenty to spare."

"...How do _you_ feel about Gensokyo?" Alex asked in a soft voice. Mamizou froze up amidst readying her pipe and put it down with a drier chuckle.

"Hows about that...Don't think I've ever been asked that during my time 'ere. Well..." Mamizou perked her head back and looked at the forming night sky, "If I had to describe it in one word, it'd be 'Paradise'."

"...Paradise."

"Yep yep, Paradise..." She closed her eyes after lowering her head, "Think of it in Youkai terms. Ye get to live a life of leisure whenever ye please, there's plenty of wine and booze to go around, ye can fight without fear of dying...Hell, ye even got a fresh supply of food packed in wholesale if ye happen to be the carnivorous type."

She leaned in and opened one eye with a slyly stiff gaze to whipser the last bit, "And the best part? No need to worry about going 'Poof!' just cause some humans suddenly decided yer old hat."

"Save for the eating humans bit, I can see what you mean. Shit, if that's meant to be a sales pitch to take residency in Gensokyo, then its sure as hell working on me!"

"Not to say Gensokyo's perfect. Too many youngin's these days trying to take control...The Moriya Goddesses, Ms. Scarlet, hell I like the two, but Hijiri and the Crown Prince ain't any better about it sometimes...Then there's the Tengu, that recent upstart Ok-"

"Ok ok, I get the point. So there's a power dispute in Gensokyo. Can't be any worse than the shitshows back on Earth." Alex put it mildly.

"Only from the perspective of the Youkai, I reckon. The poor humans don't have much luck in the matter though, since they're frankly defenseless."

"...And I guess Reimu's not much help there."

"Ohohoh, peggin' her as unreliable that soon eh? Well...I suppose I ain't in any position to disagree, to some extent..." Figuring the boy was curious ahead of time, the tanuki leaned back and rustled her tail a little to continue on, "There's a lotta folk in Gensokyo fightin' the good fight, so the Hakurei girl can't be faulted for being a little lax at times. Why, not with the likes of Marisa, Sanae, Yukari-"

Alex's body stiffened up with a paralyzing chill and his heartbeat worsened. Mamizou paused and curled her lips, then rested her right hand under her head and raised her right brow all the way up, "Now that's curious...who'd tell ya enough about 'that' person to get you ready to jump outta yer britches like that? Could it perhaps...be the same person who told ya _my_ name ahead of time?"

Half-assing a grin even with his teeth clattering Alex tried to feign ignorance in his response, "W-What are you-"

"Oh hogwash, I weren't born yesterday kid," Mamizou shut him up halfway through and thrust her pipe at his face to get him reeling back, "Nobody woulda mentioned my name since you arrived besides my good ol' friend Nue, and she didn't. So ain't that the most curious little thing that you _are_ familiar with who I am?"

Feeling backed into a corner, Alex bit his teeth down and whispered out deaf profanities for a bit before thinking, _"S-She figured that much out on her own? W-What the hell..."_

Squeezing his eyes shut, he crossed his arms and had no choice but to be honest, "L-Look...its complicated."

"No doubt it is, but there ain't a need for me to prod ya for more info. Some thing's are just better off remaining unknown..." She went back to smoking her pipe, giving Alex a chance to catch his breath before she covered the more pressing matter.

The mood shifted to a more ominous tone as even Mamizou couldn't hide behind a playful facade for this one. She gleamed the boy in the eyes with a deadpan expression and asked him straight out, "So, that whole bit about how I knew ya by both yer names...Needless to say, that nasty witch is at the center of it all."

Alex pursed his lips shut and let the tanuki had her time in the spotlight. She didn't have to give a warning, for her shift in attitude told him that he needed to brace himself for a bit of a long-winded tale. Once nice and comfty by her tail, she put the pipe down and started from the top.

"It began quite a few years back, thinkin' it was after that whole Religious War silliness? Yeah yeah, then! Well if ya need to know anything about Ms. Celestial, its that she loves to cause mischief. Needless to say, news of little Kokoro's Incident reached the high heavens...specifically her ears, and-"

"W-Wait a second..." Alex interrupted to ask, "You're...not going to tell me about that Incident first?"

"Ohohoho, what's the point retreading ground yer probably quite familiar with already?" Her response dumbstruck him into silence, so she could safely proceed unimpeded.

"Now where were I...Ah yes! So Ms. Celestial descended to Gensokyo and tricked little Kokoro into pulling some nasty pranks on its denizens, shifting all their emotions all willy-nilly. Shoot! I reckon Gensokyo woulda been irrevocably ruined had Kokoro not caught on to Tenshi's trickery."

"...Those two seemed pretty buddy-buddy though."

"Yeah that they 'ere...Ye ever see them then ye can ask them yourselves why that is, but needless to say it wouldn't-a been possible had I not hammered into Ms. Celestial's head that she had this little thing called a 'conscience'..."

"But yes. The Incident was resolved, no fuss no muss right? ...Except, there was one peculiar moment that stuck out strongly amongst the rest of that very, very rotten mess."

"...Yukari."

"Ohohooh, you catch on quick. Yes, that nasty ol' woman ambushed Tenshi during a time Kokoro was left vulnerable and tried to convert the little menreiki to her side. Tenshi thwarted her efforts, but the witch in all her devilry later tried to play the incident off like she came down with flu...Bah! Phooey to that!"

"Anyways, after the Incident got resolved I happened to have a run in with her in the forest by the Misty Lake. It was our first encounter, and we basically just shot the shit for a bit...Until the end. She left me with a warning that day...that two beings would descend upon Gensokyo, and one of them...a boy yer age, would leave our land in ruin."

"...And just how many years ago was this?" Alex dreaded to ask.

"Doubtful our timelines match up but on the off-chance they do..." Mamizou pondered on this for a minute and then answered casually, "Five years ago, I reckon?"

"F-Five years ago...?" Alex's face turned a dreadful pale shade, and his skin felt as cold as ice, _"I-I wasn't even the Elemental Overlord back then...What...what the hell is going on here..."_

His head grew woozy and shook even with a hand supporting it, but Mamizou chose not to be delicate with these matters and continued unimpeded by a guilty conscience, "Some time passed afterwards with Hijiri and Miko adopting Kokoro as their daughter to help her emotional growth. Oh, and Tenshi of course became friend with 'er for real. But the shady of Yukari loomed over the poor menreiki at all times, leading me to come in conflict with her on numerous occasions."

"She kept throwin' out these crazy stories about her plans for the future and the dangers you possess, and frankly I find myself a fool for botherin' to listen to any of them...But there was one thing that's stuck to my mind since then."

"What?"

"A prophecy of sorts...She claimed that 'When the moon burns red with flames, and the judge of the dead's been held accountable for her only crime, then the destroyer shall make himself known,'" The tanuki shrugged her shoulders and had a good laugh, "Hohoho! The only moons I've viewed lately are those pearly whites in the night sky, and there surely ain't no way you've been to see that lecture lovin' fool yet. So guess that means yer off the hook, yeah?"

"...No, no no no. Keep going with this story. You're leaving a lot out, I can feel it."

Mamizou settled back into place, shook her head, and gave her tongue a couple regretful clicks, "Sheesh, when'd I become so see-through? Yeah, yer not wrong. There's about a third of the story left, and I suppose it'd be worth your time to know the ending anyways..."

"To say that witch got desperate would be a bit of an understatement...See, she had this whole idea that we'd listen to her whack job boogieman's tales and make preparations for battle. But when we didn't, she took matters into her own hands by comin' up with this crazy convoluted plan to kidnap Kokoro."

"Huh?"

"I'm talkin' makin' her sick, trickin' the tengu and Underground to go to war-"

"Hold up hold up...Why Kokoro?"

"...Boy even I dun think I could confidently explain that to ya with all the time in the world available to me. Lets just say that witch valued her as a precious lynchpin to keep you in line, and leave it at that."

" _A girl like her...?"_ Remembering that terrifyingly meek expression that the menreiki seemed to have now had a different context, _"Is that why she was so...scared of me?"_

But Mamizou kept on going regardless of what appeared to be on his mind, "We all had to launch a massive rescue operation to get Kokoro back. Not just me and Ms. Celestial, but Hijiri and Miko's groups...And hell, even the Scarlet Devil crew got wrapped up in this mess."

Before Alex could speak a syllable she interjected, "Again long story, you'd have to ask Remilia for the details."

"Yukari was no joke though. She certainly earned her title as Gensokyo's Phantasm...But ultimately it was Kokoro and Ms. Celestial's teamwork that won us the day. Though...the experience was quite harrowin', so much so that it changed the tune of us non-believers."

"Yep yep...We reckoned that if a 'Phoenix of Destruction' did indeed come to our world, we'd take matters into our own hands..." Mamizou lifted her head up with a more genuine smile and said, "And let 'em prove to us whether he deserved to be labeled as such or not."

"...Beg your pardon?"

"Ya heard me. I'm sayin' yer no Destroyer. I knew from the moment ya didn't hurt Nue that ya got a firm set of morals on dem shoulders of yers..." She closed her eyes and bobbed her head a few times with a chipper tone of voice, "So if anyone's gonna give ya lip for that dumb title, then frankly I'll just tell 'em to shove it."

"Are you serious? ...Just like that?"

"None of us ever put much stock into the paranoid ramblin's in the first place. Just enough to bother to test ya, certainly but..."

"Well that's all well and good, but..." Alex couldn't shake one fact of the story that had initiated this particular topic in the first place, "What about...Yukari?"

Mamizou leaned back onto her tail and took a light puff of the pipe, remarking with a casual shrug of the shoulders, "Eh who cares? Hi-ho the wicked witch is 'dead'..."

"W-What...? What do you mean she's 'dead'?"

"Ya didn't seriously think we just...walked outta her realm scot-free didja? When Ms. Celestial took care of that witch, she _took care_ of that witch, catch my drift?"

"You sure don't seem certain about that..." Alex noted with his voice sounding ever-more grim.

Mamizou hunched forward a bit and balanced her pipe out on one hand, then closed her eyes some more as though preparing to drift to sleep, "I wish I could be but...There's been some curious circumstances happenin' after her so-called 'death'. Like how I've actually been seein' her around a few times since then."

"...Then she isn't dead..."

"Easy to assume that but like, yer not gettin' it...I'm not the only one been seeing her around. Everyone involved with that rescue operation's caught a glimpse of her at least once since then, but I've been the only one finding somethin' odd with that. And it ain't like I'm goin' crazy either...Little Miss Hakurei's been chattin' with her too."

Alex closed his eyes and laid his chin against the chest to get deep in thought, "...So what's your theory here?"

"Wish I could enlighten ya, but I'm at too much of a loss of words on this one..." Mamizou humility in the matter was very regretful, but she had something else to say in regards to the matter that Alex may find interesting, "So if ya don't mind me askin'...Why're you so hung up on that witch anyways?"

The boy growled for a good few seconds out of a hesitation to respond. The tanuki's been pretty up-front so far, but was it worth trusting her with what he wanted to say? There were a lot of questions unanswered about how deep her involvement was in these affairs, so it's be regrettable if it turned out she was working with Yukari to undermine him...But that just came across as paranoid ramblings in his mind, so upon lifting his head back up and looking Mamizou in the eyes he divulged all he knew.

"For roughly the last two years Shina and I have traveled the universe in search of this object called the Cosmos Drive. But ever since day one we've been followed by the shadow of something wicked. This 'mastermind' has used their abilities to corrupt the world's timelines in various ways...All because they want to see me suffer. Given the evidence of your story, it'd seem like Yukari IS that mastermind, but..."

"...Buuuut?"

It was unbearably difficult to squeeze the right words through his mouth at that moment, "But I'm just...having a hard time believing that she'd be able to do everything she's done without attracting the attention of some higher power. Especially since she's 'dead'."

"Hrrrrm, I do wonder about that. I do reckon it'd be tough, even for her..." Mamizou took a long puff from her pipe and then wagged it out while giving advice, "I wouldn't throw out the possibility that yer right though. Just...keep that at the back of yer mind for now."

"I'd rather you not take this so lightly, Mamizou..." Alex's arms fell into a slump as every muscle in his body had ended up wound up tight.

"I ain't. This is as troulbin' for me as it is you...I'm just sayin' that you got other priorities to attend to, ya?"

"The Cosmos Drive..." Alex grabbed onto his knees and remarked after a long dejected sigh, "We haven't even gotten any damn leads since we arrived."

"Hmmm...then hows about I lend you a hand or two?" Mamizou waved her hand out in a sincere gesture of good-will, catching the boy by surprise.

"What? And just how would you be able to help?"

Perking up with her jolly, wavy smirk the tanuki boasted her talents with not a hint of shame, "Got a lotta fellow tanuki who'd work pretty well in getting into tiny spaces no human'd dare try and crawl into. Not to mention I've familiarized myself with these lands pretty well...So if you'd be willing to throw a little trust my way, I'd help ya find that Cosmos Drive in no time at all."

Alex blinked a couple times then laid a hand on his chin while turning away from Mamizou, _"She does raise a valid point. Her tanuki crew has to at least number a hundred, and that's not even getting into how many other Youkai she's likely got on her side..."_

He twisted his head back to peer at her from over the shoulder, noticing her grin seemed to be mischievous. With a grumble of hesitation he asked her upfront, "So what's in it for you, Mamizou?"

"Hope ye ain't accusin' me of wanting to snatch up that object for myself there..." The tanuki barked in an offended manner before straightening up and insisting, "Doubt that thing'd be much use to me anyways, from the sounds of it."

She waggled her left hand out and remarked, "But I'm gonna have to ask ya to cough up that artifact that led you here to begin with. Otherwise I'd just be runnin' around blind."

Some alarms were going off in Alex's head, all of them blaring loud and obnoxiously, but not enough for him to not see things from a logical standpoint too. So as rude as it may have been, he addressed Mamizou's request with his usual bluntness, "I'll leave the matter of trusting you in Shina's hands. You've been pretty helpful, but I'm still keeping my eye on you, tanuki."

"Ohohoho, you've learned a few things after all. Yep yep, ya always gotta keep a weary eye out for tanuki's at all times," She then stood up and brushed the dirt off the back of her bloomers with a sweep of the tail, "Well if that's all settled, whaddya say we head on over to the temple? Night's comin' quick and all, and I'm sure yer friend's just as worried about ya as you are of her."

Alex got up right as the tanuki twirled around and started walking along her merry way. He kept his arms crossed and lingered behind for a bit as he thought over everything she had said.

" _Mamizou and some others learned about the 'Phoenix of Destruction' from Yukari Yakumo...But if she 'died' then would it still have been possible for her to influence events in her favor? I remember learning on one of the worlds that the 'mastermind' had a parasol, which would fit Yukari to a 'T' but...But what if that's just what the 'mastermind' wants me to think? Maybe the 'mastermind' wants me to go after Yukari to fulfill their own devious goals..."_

With a tight and bitter 'Tsk!' he couldn't understand anything he just thought, _"This is goddamn ridiculous...! Do...do I really have no other choice but to just wait and see what happens? How can the 'mastermind' feel so close and yet so far away? ...All I know for sure is that I can't tell Shina about this, not yet. Not until I know for certain what's going on with Yukari and her involvement with the 'mastermind'..."_

 _Next Time: A Much Needed Break_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: So Its a Date?**

Things had settled down splendidly at the Myouren Temple after that harrowing battle of wills. The hosts of the duel now sat back in peace and quiet as their guest detailed her quest as best she could. Every attempt of hers to squeeze in a question was foiled by Miko's quick-witted curiosity.

"Fascinating, tell us more!" Grew to be a gratingly repetitious phrase after a while, yet Shina kept her energy up the whole time she spoke. But as the glow of sunlight disappeared into the abyss of pitch black night she began to worry.

She faced the forest past the gates and unconsciously began to stand. Byakuren wanted to throw her some assurance of good will on her friend's behalf, but Miko's gentle hand upon her shoulder silenced those efforts.

Some surprising folk had shown up while she waited. Nue, Tenshi and Kokoro, to name names, but the information they gave was too...vague. All she could pick up was that the tanuki Mamizou was involved with Alex. However, was all this time really necessary for a test of character? She could only doubt that.

But as she was about to voice said doubts, a faint ruffling came from the bushes on the border. A second later the tanuki trudged forth into view while sweeping the stray leaves off her body. Shina clutched her hands against the chest and kept looking for Alex to come next.

Mamizou's keen eye caught this gesture of concern from afar and her head swiveled back so she could say in a teasing manner, "Yer girl's been waitin' for ya!"

Seeing Shina out there waving him 'Hello!' with all her energy relieved Alex of his stress as he left the forest behind. Though it had been less than a half-hour since they parted, that time seemed much more valuable than that nowadays.

He didn't even make it to the gate before she ran right at him and squeezed his whole body between her arms. His face turned bright red as this innocent greeting was made a spectacle for the plotters and schemers to chuckle innocently towards. The worst of all was Mamizou wiggling her brows as though enticing the boy to reciprocate in full.

"S-Shina, n-not in front of them!" He struggled to say, breaking free with little resistance from his partner right after. She fluttered her eyelids and laid two fingers in an 'L' beside her face.

"Well golly Alex, ya know I was just concerned for yer safety..."

"D-Doesn't mean we have to humor these hooligans...!" He whispered just loud enough for her alone to hear, failing to notice the tanuki's ears perking like a sonar. With her elderly giggle she turned aside and headed up the steps to greet her friends.

Their eyes were all on Alex, expressing differing degrees of wonder towards his deceptively banal appearance. Byakuren spoke first with a hand resting against the side of her face, "Is it really ok for him to be here?"

"Kids' little rough around the edges, but I doubt he'd even have it in him to set a tree on fire let alone all Gensokyo," Mamizou lifted her head up and added nonchalantly, "Sides, I told him everything we know."

Miko shut her eyes and murmured, "And that's what I was worried about..."

"Hey hey, you let me go alone for a reason Ms. Prince. Don't be havin' regrets now."

"Hardly my intention. Had I been in your shoes I'd have done the same! It's just that..." Pausing for a forced cough, Miko's voice decreased to a mere whimper, "You've left us feeling mighty inconsiderate for not telling the girl anything."

"Ya didn't?" Mamizou's eyes popped open at the two, which was enough to make them slump down as though already mentally worn down by a lecture.

"Oh my oh my..." She clicked her tongue for a little as Byakuren mustered the courage to speak in her defense.

"We figured she had little to do with this."

"So it'd been better to keep her in the dark? Ain't gonna chide ya for that, but..." Mamizou's glare got a little more harsh as she asked, "Would ya have thought the same had the boy been yers to handle, I wonder..."

As Byakuren's head began to hang the tanuki took her tail to her chin top prop it up while saying in a chipper voice, "Forget about it. 'S out of our hands now. Sides, haven't ya been keepin' dem worried long enough?"

Byakuren perked back up and admitted 'No you're right' before turning around and yelling at the front doors, "Its safe to come out now!"

Those heavy metal doors swung right open as various Youkai spilled out atop one another in a messy pile, leaving their leaders in an unsurprisied state of mind. While those Youkai untangled themselves from that chaotic bundle, Alex and Shina had finished discussing Mamizou's offer.

"So what do you think? Can we trust her to help?" He asked with a hand leaned out from his armfold.

Shina clapped her hands together and proclaimed after a short hop, "Sure we can Alex!"

"Not going to even think about it?" He said with brows starting to raise.

She tilted her head aside and murmured, "Should I...?"

"She IS a tanuki." He stressed with a grating sigh.

Shina looked back up at Mamizou, who took a moment of her time away from talking to a tiger and mouse Youkai to smile at her. She then swung back at Alex and said, "Yep yep! I see nothing wrong with trusting her!"

In a droll voice Alex felt compelled to say, "You're being too lax this late game in the game, but...If that's your decision then I'll trust her too..."

"So so, have the happy couple made dere decision?" Mamizou approached with the fleet feet of a mouse and her tail swung to-and-fro, all while a delicate smirk decorated her face. As Alex was left flustered by her choice of words, Mamizou faced Shina and awaited her response.

Perhaps it was her elderly vibes that drew her in, but Shina up bowing her head all the way forward as she expressed her gratitude, "Thank you sooo much for helpin' Mamizou!"

"Perk that chin up lassie, I ain't no royalty..." Red flushed through the tanuki's cheeks as she patted Shina's face with her tail. Her nose was tickled pick, and she giggled as she rose.

Mamizou smoked her pipe once then let her eyelids sag a bit before saying, "Well luckily for you both I was able to recruit some more help to find yer Cosmos Drive."

"One of Byakuren's Youkai?" Alex bluntly deduced.

"TWO to be precise. Shou 'n Nazrin got the skills needed to go on this merry treasure hunt. Though I'll still be requirin' that stone on yer back to know what to look for..."

Shina reached right back and pulled the stone from her pocket to put on display. Mamizou leaned out and adjusted her glasses on the bridge, injecting a little of her playful wit into the conversation, "Crusty ol' thing ain't it? But it'll do for now..."

She plucked it out of her hands with no resistance and gripped it through the hole, "We'll out at nightfall when it'll be easier to move about undetected."

"So what, we just sit here and wait?" Alex groaned.

Mamizou laid her arms out to shrug before mentioning, "Yer welcome to waste time on whatever, but wouldn't it be a waste not to experience a Gensokyo festival at least once?"

Shina swiftly expunged air like a deflating ballon full of helium as she squealed, "A festival?! Really?!"

"You're referring to the Lunar Festival being held in the Human Village, no?" Miko inquired as she also snuck up like a feather alongside Byakuren. The Prince's vested interest shone forth in her smile, leading Alex to ask, "Lunar Festival? Oh yeah, that rabbit mentioned that. Are you two going?"

Miko shut her eyes as her cape embraced her body and she proudly proclaimed, "Heavens, no! I'll be far too busy tending to my duties tonight to intermingle with my kind."

"The same goes for me," Byakuren murmured in an unshakeably certain tone, "But alas, I've been unable to curb my followers from doing the same."

"I can almost sympathize, Hijiri, for Futo's young heart leads her astray, and very nearly infected me to the point of caving in to go..." Miko's exhaustion manifested in her slumping shoulders, which looked like they had an anchor settled upon each end.

With a snide turn of the head Alex remarked, "Isn't it a bad idea for Youkai to be going to a human event anyways?"

Mamizou answered for them, "Normally? Shure. But there's always been dis unspoken rule that the two groups're allowed to enjoy festivites together s'long as no one kicks up a fuss..."

Slyly opening her eyes she spoke in an enticingly delectable voice, "Sides, it'd be a mighty shame if a Youkai weren't allowed near the succulent glazed meats..."

"Ooooh..." Shina's eyes slowlyu widened as much as they could as Mamizou continued.

"The tickling sugary sweet candies..."

"Ooooooooooooooh..." Her eyes glazed over.

"The fierce, fiery fireworks lightin' the stars ablaze..."

"Aaaah..." Her mouth creaked open as drool flooded forth like a waterfall.

"And who could forget the...games?"

"Mmrrrr..." Shina's face reddened as her shaking knees clattered together. Mamizou snuck right up to Alex to take advantage of that moment and whisper into his ear, "Sounds like a mighty fine first date, eh? Eeeeeh?"

She wiggled her eyebrows during retreat, leaving a flustered Alex to rub his head and grumbled, "W-Well...It does SOUND fun..."

"Then its settled!" Mamizou nodded, even as Alex swung his hand out and tried to deny her continued interference, "But ya ain't equipped with any festive robes, that right?"

The tanuki rubbed her chin with a twisted up grin and slowly swiveled back to face the leaders, specifically Miko, "Whaddya think? Can we get the kid lookin' somewhat presentable?"

"That may just be my toughest challenge yet..." Miko murmured, thinking to herself for not even a second before letting out a roar of pure confidence, "So of course I shall accept!"

Alex slumped down with a defeated face that he swiftly grabbed and pulled down on the skin, "Will you hags clean your ears and listen?!"

Mamizou and Miko glued themselves to his arms and got him leaning back like moving cargo. The tanuki then murmured with a wicked gleam in her glasses, "Dis is for yer own good kid."

"Indeed!" Declared Miko with sparkles around her body, "Like the summer butterfly you shall undergo an unbelieveable metamorphosis!"

She then took her shaku to a crack on the ground and made it split open, with light spilling forth in droves, "Come! We shall return to my world!"

"Hey! This is kidnapping! Let go of me this-" Alex was dragged into the glowing crevice as his 'kidnappers' giggled all the way. A second after they vanished a short girl with hair and clothes of grey vaulted after them while declaring in a panic, "C-Crown Prince! Wait-eth for us!"

After her and ghostly green girl hopped in the crevice it sealed up tightly like a fresh zipper would. Shina's mouth was left agape yet would soon crease into a heartly, chuckling grin after as she moaned, "Oh Alex..."

"So Shina..." Byakuren spoke up all soft and polite, "Shall we get you dress as well?"

Shina turned around with hands a'swingin' while her cheeks turned a flustered red, "N-No no no! I couldn't do that...W-We just met and all..."

The priest laid a hand upon her chest and drew the other one out as though offering an invitation to heaven. Her voice, though sprinkled with regret, remained ever angelic, "Please, I insist. Let me make it up to you after I so horribly judged against you. Besides, it IS just clothes..."

Captivated by her grace and humbleness, Shina rubbed the back of her head with a childish smile and said, "Well schucks when ya put it that way how could I possibly say no?"

"Then come with me, I know a perfect place for you to get dressed." They turned and made for the temple, only to find that the hefty crowd had dwindled down to two.

There was a girl barely over four feet tall with teal colored hair and eyes along with a pair of fluffy dog-like ears. She carried a bamboo broom around and wore a long pale pink shirt with a teal flower-shaped buttons. The other girl was more of average height with shoulder-length cyan hair, a button-up blouse and wavy skirt, and a nun's headdress tied together by a red orb in front of her neck.

These two well-meaning goofballs were some of Byakuren's more devout followers, and they stood to attention as she approached with that mysterious stranger at her side.

 **Kyouko Kasodani ~ The Cute Little Echo**

 **Ichirin Kumoi ~ The Passionate Nyuudou Tamer**

"Kyouko? Weren't you going with the others?" Byakuren inquired with a deeply puzzled gaze.

"I-I wanted to make sure there was nothing left to do today!" She closed her eyes and with wagging ears barked out full of enthusiasm, "I'm always ready to help, Ms. Hijiri!"

Her voice was like a light breeze upon Shina's face, yet she was too taken in by the yamabiko's puppy-like body to care. She bent right down at eye level with Kyouko and squealed in delight, "Oh you're just so ADORABLE! I could snuggle up with you and fall asleep aaaaaaall night long!"

Kyouko's expression got shaky as she staggered a couple steps back and said, "H-Hello! I-I-I'm Kyouko Kasodani! P-Please don't hug me too hard..."

"Lady Hijiri, if I may be so bold..." Ichirin spoke up with the poise of a lady, "What are you planning to do with this girl?"

"I'm getting her a dress for her date tonight." Byakuren's blunt remark got Shina springing back up as her heart tensely skipped a beat.

"A-A date?!" Her face got so red it may as well have been a tomato ripe for the picking. With her body wobbling around and her head dizzying, she found it difficult to imagine such a thing as being possible, "A date with Alex...O-Oh my...What...What am I gonna do? I've only ever been on a _play_ date before..."

Byakuren cupped her hands around Shina's shoulders and gave them a rough massage while soothing her over with assurance, "Its going to be ok. I'll be here to help."

"You can trust Ms. Hijiri!" Kyouko proclaimed with her ears perked right up, "Even though she's never been on a date, or even fallen in love, doesn't mean she doesn't know what she's talking about!"

Byakuren froze up and then slowly twisted her head to the left with her eyes shut. Her hands stiffened upon Shina's shoulders as a cloud of dread formed on her back. Kyouko's ears flattened out all lifeless and her agape mouth stammered as the priestess gently spoke, "Kyouko dear...If you're looking for something to do, then perhaps you'd be willing to help me with our guest, no?"

"Y-Yes...Ms. Hijiri." Kyouko nodded until her head felt dizzy, all while Byakuren took her hands off Shina and rested them before her waist.

"Excellent, then let us be off. You can come too if you want, Ichirin." She made her way between the others and headed for the path leading out back. Kyouko let out one long gasp of relief but was trembling with a terrible chill. But with a pat on the head from Shina as she passed by, the yamabiko felt her spirits lifted once more and followed her along in haste alongside Ichirin.

The two rounded the side of the temple and went to a room in the back that had been cleared out of everything but a few cushions and a long table. Shina deduced that this must be the place Byakuren and her followers ate, though now it'd serve its purpose better as a guest room.

In the middle of the room Byakuren turned around and wiggled her hands towards one of the cushions to say, "Wait right here. I'll be back in a second."

She gave a short nod and then left for the shutters in the back of the room. Shina sat down on the cushion and spread her legs out to get comfy, and then glanced over at the hovering Kyouko and Ichirin. The yamabiko steadily descended towards the cushion closest to Shina, using the bottom of her broom to nudge it aside until she would be a couple feet away. Then she sat down on her knees and glued her eyes to this strange girl with both her ears trembling.

Ichirin sat right down and laid her hands atop her legs, then leaned in closer to Kyouko to quietly suggest, "I think Lady Hijiri expects us to keep her company. Why not try asking her a question, Kyouko?"

Kyouko whimpered a little and then spoke up quietly, "U-Ummm...s-so..."

Shina turned her head and the yamabiko's speech sped up significantly, "Sowhereareyoufrom?!"

Playfully chuckling at the girl's sheepish nature, Shina kept an easy-going attitude as she started to answer, "Well actually..."

Time passed by quickly just from answering the many questions Kyouko had to ask, each one getting easier to say as it became clear that Shina was no threat at all. By the time Byakuren came back, she was delighted to see a translucent flush of red in the yamabiko's cheeks.

"I see you're getting along just fine." She smiled wide and trotted on over to the others with many kimonoss draped atop her left arm.

Kyouko closed her eyes and barked out in glee, "Yes! Thanks for asking Ms. Hijiri!"

Ichirin sighed and shook her hand out beside her exhausted face, "I wish I got to say more, but Kyouko dominated the whole conversation..."

"B-But its ok! She just had a lotta stuff to ask!" Shina hastily rushed to the yamabiko's defense upon sensing a lecture on the tip of Byakuren's tongue. The priestess sighed and kept smiling as she laid the kimonos down upon the table and looked to Shina.

"Ok Shina, stand up." The girl sprung up like sunflower in sunlight, where Byakuren then got her to turn around with a twirl of the finger. She then reached for the top kimono and hung it up at shoulder-length against Shina's back, examining closely just how well it meshed with her slender but busty frame.

"Hmmm...We _might_ have some issues around the chest region, but your thin waist should compensate for it...As long as you don't mind showing your socks."

"Sorry I'm so tall..." Shina playfully commented.

"I'm the last person to tell someone off for having a healthy body." Byakuren seemed not the least bit offended and even chuckled herself as she spread the sleeves of the kimono out.

"Your complexion is incredible though. Good thing too, since we don't have any makeup here," She lowered the arm and mumbled to herself before placing the kimono back down beside the foot thick pile. Shina tried to catch a glimpse of her work, but the priestess placed a finger upon the side of her cheek and sternly remarked, "No peeking. This must be a surprise for you."

"O-Ok..." Shina sheepishly turned her head back and closed her eyes. Her muscles were tensing up and the bottom of her lip quivered as each cold delicate piece of fabric touched her skin. Byakuren picked up another kimono and laid it against the girl's back, but this time bent her head to squint at the waist region.

"Kyouko, could you please hold one of my obis up to her waist?" She requested with a certain lack of focus in her voice.

The yamabiko cheerfully ran up to the table and picked one of those thickened belts out to suspend in the area Byakuren suggested. The priestess then nodded her head and sounded off with certainty, "Perfect! Put that one aside for now."

" _Gosh, what are they planning to do?"_ Curiosity got the better of Shina and she sneakily tried to open one eye to peek back at the table. Yet her vision became swiftly obscured by a fabric curtain in the form of a sleeve, causing her to blurt out in grief, "D'oh!"

She turned back and waited as Byakuren played out her role as a dressmaid with finesse, on occasion getting either Ichirin or Kyouko to assist. But the priestess had no plans to leave the girl stricken with boredom. After a couple minutes of fiddling around, Byakuren took a break to nestle her fingers against Shina's tense shoulders while asking, "So...how have you taken to Gensokyo?"

"Its..." Shina thought repeating what she said to Sanae was unnecessary, so she instead brought attention to another of the land's finer points, "A surprisingly peaceful place! Every other world we'd gone to was always in the midst of a threat, but this time _we_ were the ones pegged as the 'villains'."

"Ahem...well," Byakuren lost focus from embarrassment for a moment, "Its not as though there aren't any Incidents around here. But that stuff tends to be handled by the Hakurei maiden, and nothing's ever been life-threatening."

Her eyes sagged a little, giving Shina a hint that there was something more worth prying from the priestess' lips, "But it ain't all sunshine and lollipops, is it?"

"It is a lot better than it used to be. I suppose Gensokyo's seclusion from the rest of the world is to thank, but...Youkai are still discriminated against, and I sometimes feel I haven't been doing enough to help them."

"You've been doing everything you can Lady Hijiri, there's no need to fret!" Ichirin spoke rather loudly regarding the faith she shared, but her voice compared not to Kyouko's own compliments, "Exactly! Aren't we proof enough that you're doing just fine?!"

"You two..." Byakuren's heart melted from the comforting warmth of their words. But she sadly had to ruin the mood by resting a hand against the side of her face and remarking, "If only you and the others showed this much dedication to Buddhism in your behavior."

The two closed their lips with a nervous grin and chuckle. Shina then glanced back just the tiniest bit and remarked, "Youkai don't die though cause of the Spell Card rules yeah?"

"Hmmm, I suppose not." Byakuren admitted.

"I really like Spell Card duels myself! Yeah, that's gotta be Gensokyo's biggest draw for me!" Shina turned forward and had the brightest smile, "Ya can find a lot of Gensokyo's Youkai on other worlds, but Danmaku's pretty one-of-a-kind. Ya got lotsa variety with none of the risk of harm to either competitor. I really wanna go back home and teach people how to play it someday!"

In a moment that left Ichirin and Kyouko frightened, Byakuren giggled like a girl half her age, but then returned to her more soothing voice to say, "Well, I hope you do get the opportunity to Shina."

"Yep! I know we will, but right now that's all in Mamizou's hands..." Thinking of that subject got Shina's mind drifting towards the matter of her eventual date again, and the sharp rise of tension in her body got Byakuren to flinch back momentarily.

She resumed putting the kimonos onto Shina's back while switching the conversation to a more fitting topic, "There's nothing wrong with feeling nervous. Speak your concerns now, and I shall listen."

"W-Well...I just dunno how to feel about this. It...its not that I don't love Alex but..." Shina look down at the innocently gazing Kyouko and saw it necessary to lean over her shoulder and cover her mouth before whispering, "We...we haven't even kissed..."

Kyouko's ears perked up, but she didn't seem to understand what that meant. Byakuren's slow gasp of surprise only made the yamabiko's curiosity grow.

Byakuren gently pulled Shina in closer and helped turn her around, concealing the kimonos behind her own head as she locked eyes with her and mentioned, "I...may not know much about romance, but there's one bit of advice I think I can impart..."

With a firm pat on the girl's left shoulder she said, "Don't think, just feel. Your heart will never lead you astray."

"Don't think...just feel..." Shina repeated it a couple times as a mantra and the stress seemed to dissolve just a bit. She then cracked a smile and put her hands on Byakuren's shoulders to say, "Thank you! I'll try my best!"

"Hehe, and if it makes you feel any better, that boy is probably just as nervous as you are...If not moreso."

Shina turned back around and Byakuren picked up another kimono, leaving the girl to giggle at the easily imaginable image of Alex's bright red face, especially as he also had to deal with the tricky Mamizou and the boisterous Miko.

"I gotta imagine he's got his own share of troubles dealin' with those two..."

Byakuren laughed a little louder than normal then held a kimono up for an exceptionally longer period of time than before.

"Yes! This is perfect!" She was so excited that she put the kimono right down and hurried right along to the next step just so she could see the kimono on Shina that much faster, "Kyouko, Ichirin, can you help me with Shina's hair?"

The two got behind Shina as she closed her eyes and let them work their magic. Their spindly fingers wove in-between her strands of hair and got to work curling them up. Her heart fluttered as she imagined what hairstyle she'd be given and what Alex would think of it.

" _Don't think...just feel...Don't think...just feel..."_ And her mind drifted off to somewhere else entirely, as shall we...

 _Meanwhile..._

"SHRIPPP!"

The sound of tearing fabric echoed through a realm filled with snow-white fog, as the shambles of a beautiful kimono fell to the ground to become one with an ever-growing ring of cloths. Miko and Mamizou stood and stared at Alex, the destroyer of robes, with eyes as empty as the surrounding skies. The boy stood there as though he had just been unfrozen, then after a couple seconds drooped his arms and groaned, "That's the fifth one in a row..."

"Hmmm, I didn't foresee the simple act of dressing someone to be so...complex." Miko tapped the shaku against the front of her chin while Alex swung his arms out and screamed, "How could you NOT?!"

"...I fail to see what you're arguing." She responded with genuine obliviousness. In exasperation Alex flattened a hand against the top of his head and then lowered it to his chest, where the top of Miko's head lined up with. He did this a couple more times with his limb speeding like a blur, but the Crown Prince offered little more than a shrug.

"Oh well, perhaps attempt number six will be our magic number."

Alex slapped his face and wanted to die. Luckily for him, someone else wanted him dead too, and was standing firmly behind him with eyes squeezed shut and an ugly looking frown. A girl no bigger than Kyouko, this grey uniform wearing bundle of energy swung her wrinkly into the air and proclaimed with more volume than her body should've feasibly been able to produce, "I object-eth to entertaining this ludicrous farce any-eth longer, Crown Prince!"

The girl ran up in front of Alex, who quickly decided the dull sky was more worth his time to look at, and thrust a finger straight up towards his face with cheeks flushed red with rage, "You stand-eth around so uncouthly before royalty! I am disgusted by the mere-eth sight of your presence! Who assigned-eth you the right to leave so unsightly upon the ground the tatters of the Crown Prince's dainty robes?!"

With a dull look in his eyes Alex looked straight at Miko and asked while barely raising a finger towards the girl, "Hey Miko, who's this sassy hot-headed midget supposed to be?"

The girl's eyes lit ablaze with an inferno that could consume worlds whole, which she then set upon the boy through her flailing arms and thunderous voice, "How dare-eth you call me a midget! I am the Crown Prince's most trusted-eth aide, the great Mononobe on Futo!"

 **Mononobe no Futo ~ The Tiny Pyromaniac**

"Settle down Futo, there is no need to blow-up on our guest. Its not his fault." Miko's gentle voice could only sway the girl's attitude so much in the right direction, for even as she turned to bow in respect to her Prince she voiced her complaints with the same fiery fervor as before.

"All due-eth respect, Crown Prince...But this charlitan of a human know-eth naught his place in the world."

"Says the extremely loud-mouthed midget..." Alex threw in a quick pot-shot with a grin for Futo to see right afterwards.

"Silence-eth you knave!" She yelled, staring hot knives into his body. She then spun right back to bow while tucking her hands into her spacious sleeves and spoke with deep respect, "Your clothes hold-eth more value in this world than even gold, yet this child treats them like hobo rags!"

"Hey, its not _my_ fault that I didn't stop growing at the age of eight." Alex smiled wider as Futo got even more mad, with blood veins popping out from her steaming dark red forehead.

"I do admit to underestimating the durability of my old robes, but this is no excuse to be acting like children. Both of you." Miko laid down the law as only she could, with a voice soft but powerful.

Futo went silent but grumpily hunched down, while Alex just crossed his arms and looked away. Having been surprisingly quiet up until this point, Mamizou stopped smoking her pipe and interjected a little observation of her own, "Perhaps we oughta shift focus from clothes to manners, wouldn't ya say Crown Prince?"

Miko snapped her fingers aside and felt enlightened by her words, "Ah yes! Right you are! Pardon my choice of words, but its as they say...A well-dressed body can't disguise a badly dressed heart."

Alex freaked out and started to gesture a flat hand out from his neck a couple times to try and cease their brewing plans, "No no no! I-I'd rather keep focusing on clothes! Yeah, h-haven't we been having-"

Don't try 'n weasel outta this kid... Mamizou stamped her foot down and with a gaze that could scare a rhinocerous she steadily approached the boy and laid down _her_ law, 展ould ya rather sacrifice your pride as a man? Or yer chances as a lover? Think carefully 'bout this, ya never get second chances here.

Alex just didn't want to admit that he was feeling incredibly nervous deep down. To him, such weakness reflected badly upon him. But at the same time...Shina did deserve better than his usual rough guy attitude. So perhaps just for one day he could let his vulnerable side show, even if it meant having to endure the tiresome lectures of these elderly folk for a while longer.

...Fine, what do I need to do?

Miko turned around and with a short nod said, 的 shall leave this in your care...While I go acquire a more fitting set of clothes.

The Crown Prince slowly retreated to her magnificent temple with Futo running close behind, trying desperately to make her reconsider. Mamizou walked up to Alex with her pipe twirling like a baton between her fingers and not a single ash dropping from it. She squinted and gave him the quick look over while he followed her around with all his suspicions aroused.

The slightest twitch of her tail was the only warning given before she suddenly stiffened it up and pushed the bottom of his chin to prop his head upright. Mamizou stood behind him with back turned and nudged her glasses up, playfully wiggling her lips as she said, 適eep yer chin up at all times. A lady requires yer attention more than the floor.

Alex breathed a sigh as Mamizou's tail pulled back like a snake in retreat, only for it to suddenly slap the back of his shoulders and force them right up, 鉄ame goes for yer shoulders kid! Walk with confidence, ladies love confidence!

...Are you speaking from experience or what? For his talking back, his mouth was literally stuffed by the fluffy tip of her tail as she lambasted him in a firmer tone of voice.

Yer gonna have to tame that mouth of yers if ya wanna earn that first kiss. No cussin', and no givin' lip. She pulled her tail out and gave Alex room to breath. He adjusted to his new posture just fine, save for having to fight a great mental battle to resist his natural urges to slump.

...Shina doesn't really have a problem with the way I speak...

She's just bein' polite, trust me. Yer welcome to test yer luck, but you'll just be sleeping with lips drier than a desert by the time night ends.

How the heck do you even _know_ we haven't kissed?

I **know** , Mamizou firmly spoke and then tapped a couple steps forward, remarking in her more casual voice, 的 want ya to succeed kid, but don't get yer head all tangled tryin' to make magic happen. Just let it flow naturally and things'll go as intended...If yer love's meant to last that is.

Alex started choking on empty air, and Mamizou settled her chin upon her chest to giggle, 的 kid, I kid! But dang, yer really wound up in a knot over this ain't ya?

He spread his fingertips across the forehead which had become drenched in a cold sweat, 的 think I'd rather die than go on a date at this point...

Hrmmm...yes yes, I get it. Yer knees're weak, yer stomach's on the verge of collapse, yer brain's drained of a will to live. That ain't nuthin' to fear though, its all normal.

Staring at her with eyes as pale white as a ghost's, Alex shook his head and muttered, 添ou make it sound so damn easy...

Cause this right here? This **is** the easy part. Love's a rocky road with bumps aplenty, but survivin' the hardships leads to somethin' wonderful and special... Mamizou closed her eyes and after a whiff of her pipe whispered, 適inda envious of young love...

Did you say something?

Musta been the wind kid... She perked right up and flicked the worthless ashes aside with a tired look in her eyes, 釘ut that'll be all for our little session. Just try not to have a heart attack, alright?

That's **it**? Alex's surprise overwhelmed the crawling dread.

That's it, She stated plainly, 鉄ides, Ms. Prince 'S already on her way back with a rather...interesting choice of robe.

Alex dreaded looking at the temple as Miko came wandering out with a folded up parcel colored the same as fresh lilacs. When the Crown Prince stopped she held no concern for its colors as she brought to his attention, 的t took a little salvaging, but this robe should fit.

Alex looked down and just lost all will to care when he saw its coloring up close. It wasn't a parcel, it was the robe itself. Its colors were bright and blinding even in this luminose realm, and it was decorated with glittery lime-green taoist symbols and straps down the center of the neckline.

...Did you used to wear this? Alex dared to ask with his eyes barely having the energy to quiver.

Not at all. This was worn by one of my most trusted advisors, who loved nature with all his heart. Sadly, he perished of illness at a terribly young age... Miko gave a rare glimpse into her melancholic side for a moment before propping the robe up in both hands and saying, 鉄o all I request is that you handle it with care.

Her humbleness in asking along with that short but touching memoir was all Alex needed to shut up and reach for the robe. After snatching it up he unfolded it and pushed his arms through the sleeves. The material was smooth but cold at first, yet snugly comformed to his body like a second layer of skin and grew warm in seconds, especially as he took the ribbon and tied it up around the waist. With a firm tug on both ends of the ribbon the robe was secured, and he examined how it looked on him.

It was no surprise that lilac wasn't a flattering color, especially with his red shirt sticking out from the neckline and his modern day sneakers undoubtedly visible from the bottom...But if one were to ignore the colors and focus more on the general appearance of the robe itself, then it didn't look _that_ garish. In fact, Alex found himself feeling more confident the moment he put it on.

Huh... He tucked an arm into the center of the robe and laid a hand on his chin to pretend he was a nobleman, then looked at Miko and asked, 滴ow do I look?

The Crown Prince's cheeks were partially puffed and a brief snort pushed out from her nostrils, but this little moment of weakness didn't change the honesty in her response, 添ou look just fine...But its not my appraisal that you should be seeking, no?

Alex's heart started pumping blood at a faster rate and his whole face turned red. With eyes wide and full of both hope and dread he bowed his head at Miko and said with a clear and respectful voice, 典hank you for this robe, Crown Prince.

May it serve you well on this unforgettable of nights, Elemental Overlord. Now, shall I see you two off? She drew her shaku up high and swiped the air in front of her, creating a perfect sized rift for the two to return to the Myouren Temple.

Mamizou let the boy take the lead with a silent wave of both arms, and after collecting himself with a breath deep enough to fill a hot air balloon he held his head up high and walked through. His heart was racing and every step felt like a chore. His skin was riddled with goosebumps and felt as cold as ice, even before coming in contact with the quiet nightly breeze.

When he stepped forth onto familiar temple grounds, he just couldn't say a word, nor could he breath.

The girl...no, the woman at the bottom of the steps was unrecognizable to him now. She wore a black furisode kimoro with a white flower print embroided with gold glitter, and a brown obi sash around her waist that was secured by a fluffy blue ribbon. Her flowing locks of blonde hair had been bundled up in a bun in the back of her head with the help of some delicate golden string, while the pale moonlight accentuated the beauty of her blushing face.

She was fiddling with her fingers before her chest and avoided looking straight at Alex for good minute. When their eyes connected though, there was nothing to disrupt them beyond the peaceful chirping of crickets from the forest.

Alex's mouth was dry, as were his pitiful, gasping attempts to say something. Shina didn't even try to say anything herself, and slowly paced herself towards the boy. His mind was flushed of all thoughts besides how beautiful he found her to be. He wanted to compare her to the brightest stars in the sky, but felt even that wasn't a worthy comparison.

Lost in thought all alone, it didn't even occur to him that she was standing a foot away until the slightest trace of her breath could be felt upon his face. His heart lunged out of his chest and he felt ready to faint, especially as she showed no signs of commenting on his peculiar choice of clothes. Now he just felt really silly and adequate.

Y-Y-You're very beautiful Shina... Alex's face filled with blood and he covered it up in both hands, muffling a scream of pure frustration at himself.

Perhaps it was for the best. Shina too couldn't bear herself to look him in the face, and her pupils shrank while her face became just as red. Only her words would suffice to break this mile long wall of ice between them, but though she's not the postergirl for thinking straight most of the time she had just the right thing to say at this particularly tense moment.

Did...Miko pick that robe out for you?

Y...yes... He said with quietly pained dread.

She forced her best smile through a drench of sweat and said, 的t...looks good on ya Alex!

Her simple choice of words was the reassurance the boy needed, and he began to part his fingers to give her a proper look in the eyes. Though she was beautiful, moreso now than ever before, that didn't change who she was on the inside. That innocent soul with a heart of gold...That was the person Alex fell in love with.

It...does? He whispered more confidently.

Whodathunk pink'd be your best color?! She giggled in delight.

A-Actually its...lilac... He rubbed the back of his head and barely sounded that last word out before being overcome by a short but terrible cough.

S-So...Are...are you ready to go to the festival, Shina?

He was speechless at her holding her hand out and turning her head to strengthen that unforgettable smile without saying a word. He'd just be insulting her gesture by speaking any further. Nervousness could just disappear into the void for all he cared now. By accepting the gentle grip of her hand into his own, the two were ready to go to the Human Village and enjoy themselves to the fullest. And on that night he swore a thousand lifetimes over...that he would ensure it'd go right...

 _Next Time: The Moment The Universe Changed_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Sonata Under the Moonlight**

As night fell upon Gensokyo, the evening stars lit up the empty sky and shone a layer of silvery brightness upon the lands. Yet as far as the eye could tell, there wasn't a single soul to be found. That's because every one of them, with their sights and their sounds, were being attracted to a centralized location, the Human Village.

The bustling sanctuary of humanity, on this one, single day, allowed the more mannered Youkai and playful Fairies to partake in their festival. Even the blindest of the blind wouldn't be able to miss the village it was now, lit up across its four corners with a pale, festive orange glow.

Anyone who could fly descended to the village like mosquitos drawn to a lantern, and that included our two lofty lovebirds. But unlike the others they planted themselves outside the village perimeter and walked through the gates like any normal human would. The entire time they stood hand-in-hand, though as the gazes of other humans went their way Alex lost the fight against his own embarrassment and slowly peeled his hand from Shina's.

Too consumed by a pinkish flush in his face, he had failed to notice and appreciate the convenience of Shina clapping her hands right at that exact moment. With her lungs deflating like balloons to exhale the most awe-struck gasp ever, she took in the sights with a sharply pivoting head.

"Food stands full of sweets and meats?! Game stands full of fun and prizes?! Beautiful yukatas, a festive atmosphere?! Oh, its even better than Mamizou described!" She swung her arms out and ended up slapping a passerby in the back of the head, making them turn back and grumble. Shina curled her arms in and sheepishly waved some fingers out as an apology, only for them to keep their sour mood anyways.

"Geez, someone ain't in the festive mood..." She couldn't let that keep her down and immediately turned to Alex to see iff the joy in his eyes has hopefully been ignited. Instead his arms were down and lifeless at the hips, with his eyes staring straight and unfocused. Worst of all he shook, even though the robe should've kept him warm and snug.

"Everything alright?" She asked while leaning into his view.

He snapped back to life in an instant and gave an unconscious answer of, "O-Oh...yeah, I'm fine..."

She pulled up with a dull and curious hum and tucked her hands back, as she bobbed her waist around. Alex took in a deep breath and tried to focus, _"Drown everyone else out...Tonight is just her...and me."_

It seemed to do the trick, as he was able to look Shina square in the eyes and say without blushing _too_ much, "S-So...is this your first festival?"

"Sort of?" Her eyes wiggled around a little as she appeared humored and just a tad nervous to say, "We...had one day a year back home where Gravitus would shut off the gravity in Sancturia and let us float around. It was pretty fun!"

Her eyes closed as she squeezed a bright grin out, "But I guess that'd count more as a holiday..."

" _...Can't all Aurians fly already?_ The absurdity of the story couldn't hide the undeniable fact that they were both a couple fish out of water here, _"But at least we're_ _ **both**_ _at a loss of what to do..."_

Suddenly her face was inches from his with eyes wide and anticipating of something he could not possibly have guessed. She kept her intentions silent until Alex stammered out in bewilderment, "Umm...w-what's up Shina?"

She squinted her eyes shut and stated as though the answer was obvious, "Duh dummy! I'm lettin' ya decide where to take me first!"

It wasn't enough that he had to burden the weight of crippling anxiety on a first date, but now she was planting her feet firmly atop that weight by expecting him to handle planning the night on his own like he was the expert here. His heart started racing, but since it was early enough in the night he could still salvage this potentially disastorous start with just a few words.

"I...appreciate you putting your faith in me, but..." He kept his eyes on Shina even as his eyelids tried their damnedest to shut, and was forced to bear the slowly growing disappointment on her face as he told her quietly, "But I don't know the first thing about festivals either."

Her pout was difficult to digest. In most cases she'd just throw that out there as an exaggeration of her mood at the time, but now it felt like she was genuinely disappointed to hear him say that. Yet as painful as it was to watch her slink back upright, Alex didn't look away.

Shifting to half of a smile, Shina pressed her hands together before the chest and remarked, "Well...someone we know's gotta be enjoying the festival! Maybe...we can get their advice on what to do?"

"And heck who knows? Maybe we'll just wander into something." The two thus stuck close by and waddled their way through the village streets. Stands aplenty bordered the sides of the road and took up most of the walking space, making manuevering through more cumbersome than necessary. As Shina described it, there was a wide variety of eateries and galleries...perhaps too many of them, in fact.

There wasn't just humans running these stands either. Youkai, some in disguise others plain as day, manned their own businesses with a repertoire of strange and colorful creations. The humans took a liking to these stands more than that of their fellow man, and their wallets emptied in the droves without a care. While Shina was delighted to see the two races in harmony, Alex had a more cynical view on the matter, as he suspected that the Youkai were just looking to line their pockets with money through scams.

Not that he was going to say so...Then he'd look like a right fool.

After a few minutes of wandering about and taking in both the sights and sounds of the people having fun, the two stopped close to the center of the village and took a breather. Shina leaned up against one of the houses and looked at the decorations spread across the rooftops. Paper lanterns with a kanji for "lunar" had been set up across thick and curvy rows of string, and that simplicity was all this place needed.

"Maybe we can just spend the whole night takin' in the sights." She murmured in a soothed manner.

Alex glanced her way and said, "Personally, I think that'd be a waste."

She closed her eyes and hummed deeply to herself, and something about her demeanor just...changed. Alex couldn't comprehend what she was feeling now, only that it reflected badly on him, and so he scrambled to fix it.

"I-I mean, unless that's what you _want_ to do..." He stood there waving his arms and looking like a real baboon for a good few seconds. As Shina pulled away from the house she opened one eye partially and winked it down playfully towards him.

"Nah, I wanna do everything I can to enjoy this festival!" She swung a fist up and then declared proudly, "And if that means stumblin' around for hours figuring out what to do, then by golly that's what we're gonna do!"

"Shina? Shina is that you?!" A familiarly shrill and energetic voice called to her from down the nearest street, so with an excited perking of the eyebrows Shina spun her head back and waved down the street instantly.

"Sanae! Hey! We're over here!" She stood on her tippy toes and stretched her hand up high to get the shrine maiden's attention.

Wearing a blue yukata with stylized green clouds and frogs, along with a green cloth belt around the waist, Sanae pushed her way through the crowd and got to Shina in seconds. The two embraced in a quick hug and had smiling faces.

"I didn't think I'd see you again so soon!" The maiden decreed.

"Me neither, but I'm glad we found ya!" After squeezing each other tight for five seconds they broke up and got to talking normally. Alex, forced to submit to the complex and bizarre power of girl gossip, just stood back and lightly kicked his right foot along the ground.

"So what are ya up to?" Shina started off.

Sanae hung her head a bit and let out a very, very long sigh, "I came here with Lady Suwako, but the very moment we stepped foot in the village she ran off and left me behind."

"Well I'm sure she'll be fine on her own." Shina remarked with a firm reassuring nod.

The maiden squeezed her eyes shut and vented her frustrations by flailing her right fist in the air, "That's not the point! Lady Suwako took all the festival money Lady Kanako had given for me!"

Shina bit her lower lip and let out a pained, sympathetic hiss. Sanae's head drooped and after exhausting her anger she shook it and looked Shina in the eyes and wasn't too proud to beg, "So if you see Lady Suwako, can you try and bring her back?"

"We'll do what we can." Alex interjected with a bit of enthusiasm at the thought of getting back at the goddess for the earlier defeat, which led him to smile.

Sanae leaned right and blinked a few times, then looked back-and-forth at him and Shina before letting out a wide-mouthed gasp of shock and saying, "You two are on a date?!"

The boy's eyes clamped shut as he grit his teeth and felt ready to die, _"Oh please, just scream it to the world why don't you..."_

Sanae looked Shina in the eyes and apologized profusely, "I'm sorry! I didn't know I was interrupting! Its just that...I never would've expected your friend to-"

Alex utilized the one second of an opening he had to throw a fiery glare at Sanae, who clammed up on the spot and tucked her hands before the waist while letting out a sharp, awkward giggle, "I-I mean...I-I never would've expected you two to be here!"

"Hehehe, yeah, it was a pretty unexpected detour, but we decided to let someone more experienced handle the search for now."

"Well have fun! There's plenty to do around here!" The wishes of good cheer suggested that maiden would soon depart, but by scratching the side of her face with one finger and chuckling slowly Shina had managed to leash her friend in for just a bit longer.

"A-Actually, we're kinda havin' trouble figuring out _what_ to do..."

Sanae tilted her head and her mouth puckered to the size of a pen until she mustered the courage to say, "How's that possible? Don't tell me neither of you've been to a festival before...?"

Alex leaned back against the corner of the house and looked skyward while Shina began whistling innocuously. Sanae laid a hand upon the side of her face and whispered, "Oh my goddess you poor things..."

Sanae grabbed one of Shina's hands and pulled it up, then laid a pair of fingers in an "L" to the right of her eye and winked the other as she proclaimed, "Well then its more than a miracle that brought us together! Don't worry you two! I'll show you how festivals are done, Gensokyo style!"

"Absolutely! Just lead the way, Sanae!" Shina declared with a purposefully rhyming inflection. The two did a little more chit-chat and then were ready to go.

Behind them Alex had a mopey frown and murmured to himself, "But...this was supposed to be our date."

Shina turned back at him and declared, "Come on Alex! Now the night REALLY begins!"

She was smiling, which to Alex meant a lot more than anything else, even if he wasn't the one responsible. With a short nod of the head the three went off deeper into the village, and Alex decided he would just have to make up for his inexperience when the time was right.

Sanae guided the two to the eastern part of the village, citing a few places of particular interest for them to stop at if they wanted to later. But she was adamant on them going to one specific booth first. It was a gaming one, a "throw the ball, hit the target" sort of one in fact.

It was run by a small blue eyed girl with twintail blue-hair and a blue dress with lots of pockets around the skirt and arms. She also carried around a dark aquamarine backpack and a golden key with a strap around her chest, and to top it all off she had a blue-white striped cap like a vendor normally would at these kinds of booths.

 **Nitori Kawashiro ~ The Business Kappa of the Mountains**

Upon noticing the maiden's approach the girl perked up from her bored slump and wagged a hand out beside her face, greeting her with a neutral, childish tone of voice, "Well if it isn't the Moriya maiden. Come to try your hand at the Kappa's newest attraction?"

The girl smirked with an air of smugness surrounding her as she swung her arms proudly back at her contraption. There were three rows of moving paper mache targets carried by bobbing sticks, and each target resembled a crow with bobbly eyes and a long, obnoxious red nose.

Shina clapped her hands together with both eyes lighting up with sparkles, "Oh my gosh! I've heard of these kinda games in my history books! If you hit a target, you win a prize!"

"Thaaaaat's right!" The Kappa tipped the rim of her hat down as she leaned back full to really embrace the vendor mood, "Hit a target, win a prize! And if you can hit the secret target, you'll get an even better prize!"

Shina ran right up to the counter and slammed her hands down, leaning in to take a look at all the stuff hung up on the walls. There were a few nicely crafted masks resembling famous people in Gensokyo, some sleek hand tools, and a couple Kappa based memorabilia. But what stuck out the most to her was a pink hand fan with a few hazy cobalt butterflies spread around it.

She pulled back and sprung her right arm out to point at that while asking, "What do I hafta do to get that prize?"

Nitori hid a grizzly smile and chuckle under the shadow of her cap and then presented her company with a smile, "You have a fine eye for prizes my dear. That fan is said to have once belonged to a princess who couldn't handle the stress of her duties and killed herself."

" _The fuck kinda salespitch is that?"_ Alex slumped his eyebrows, but Shina's attitude was so completely opposite of his that they may as well been standing on different sides of Mt. Everest.

"A princess' fan?!" She gasped until out of breath as though meeting the person of royalty right now.

"Normally something like this would cost ya 100,000 yen, but if you toss me 1000 yen and hit the right target in one ball then it'll be yours!" Nitori was urging Shina on with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and though Alex wanted to see her succeed in acquiring the fan he decided he'd rather not watch her succumb to a scam in the process.

"Hold the phone here," Alex closed his eyes and held a hand up, then took a couple steps towards the counter to look the Kappa in the eyes, "1000 yen for just one ball? Isn't that asking a bit much?"

"Nooooot at all sir! Most of our prizes are worth double that much, and as you can see they are all pretty easy to hit!" Nitori motioned to the crows, who were indeed moving at a pretty sluggish pace...But Alex wasn't buying it.

" _2000 minimum worth for each prize, meaning if you get it in two attempts you'll earn your money's worth...But there's no way Nitori's running a straight-laced business here. There has to be_ _ **some**_ _trick I'm not seeing..."_ Alex paused and squinted at the stand for a bit and then started tucking his hands into his pockets with a glance at Shina. Her eyes were locked onto the fan and she eagerly clasped her hands together.

There was nothing she wanted more in the world than that fan, but unfortunately for her...

"Sorry, we don't have any-" The cling-clang of loose change rattled at the touch in Alex's pockets, and with a murmur of 'Huh' he pinched a cold metallic coin between his fingers and pulled it out. It was a yen piece, worth 1000 to be precise.

He turned it around, unable to believe it was real until Nitori blurted out, "Looks to me like your pockets are lined pretty deep! So why not face the odds and play ball for a bit?"

She leaned on her elbows and wiggled her brows a couple times, but that was just negligible needling. What really got Alex reconsidering his prospects was when Shina swiveled back and widened her eyes like a begging child. She even went so far as to curl her bottom lip up and whimper like a puppy.

His defenses were weakly torn down in seconds, and with a click of the tongue he pointed the hand holding the yen at Nitori and flicked it over with a confident decree of, "Better get that fan down now, cause I'm shooting for a one-hit win!"

Nitori swiped the yen out like a hungry pirahna and snuck it into one of her many pockets, from which she then pulled out a ball made of smoothed down balsam wood and flung it at Alex. He caught it in both hands and looked to the targets, which began to bob around to become more difficult to hit.

Shina stood back and alongside Sanae cheered him on with 'Go Alex!' and 'Show her who's boss!'

Licking his lips and feeling pretty damn sure of himself, Alex stretched his left leg back and held the ball by the back of his rear. His gaze became more focused than a telescope's as he made sure not to miss a single movement.

" _Secret target...Secret target...Where art thou secret target?"_ He only had to wait out ten seconds before something changed in the landscape. A realistic splash of water came from the middle row, and a large snake necked paper mache creature started bobbing around from the left to the right.

" _Loch Ness monster eh?"_ Alex couldn't help but admit that its appearance looked pretty realistic, but the way it was setup wasn't as tough as he had expected. It was moving as fast as the other targets, bobbed at the same pace, and was as big as his arm. The only trouble would be slipping the ball between the crows to hit it, but luckily for him he had plenty of experiencing flinging balls.

Winding the ball back and tightening his fingers around it, Alex was certain he had his target locked down in his sights and threw the ball out with _juuuust_ enough force to not break anything. The ball zipped in a straight line towards the Loch Ness and slipped between two of the crows. Alex pumped his fist up and went 'Yes!' as he'd soon score both a victory in both a game and in love...

...Only to struck down by pure tragedy as the ball missed and smacked the back wall. The targets slowed down and the secret one slipped into hiding, followed by a demoralizing buzz coming from the ceiling.

" _...What."_ His arms dropped down and he lost all perception on the world around him. How could it have missed, he wondered to himself, when it was such a perfect shot?

Nitori shrugged and happened to catch the ball dropping down from a pipe during that. She then gave the boy a smug glance and remarked, "Tough luck, but you're welcome to try again for another 1000 yen."

Alex glared at the Kappa and only increased her smugness. But before his mouth got running something fierce, Shina stepped up to the counter and happily proclaimed, "I wanna give it a shot next!"

"...Shina are you sure?" Alex warned in the most subtle way possible, but she just spun back around and waved her hand out demandingly.

"Yeah yeah, I think I can do it!" It was hard to tell from the way she stared at him if it was disappointment at failure or a genuine desire to try that guided her actions. But alas, Alex was slowly learning that on a date like this he was but a slave to female whimsy.

" _...Thank god this isn't my money..."_ Was the only brightside to this as he pulled another yen piece out and pressed it onto Shina's palm. But he was not letting go even as she coiled her fingers around his until she heard him out, "Just pay really close attention."

She pulled loose with a slippery tug and held the yen to her chest with both eyes closed, "I'll be fine Alex. I can feel your spirit in this yen piece...With that at my side there's no way I can lose!"

Alex's pupils shrank and his face turned bright red. Off to the side, Sanae's eyes were watery as she clutched her hands up before her face and squealed quietly, "Awwww...!"

Shina flicked the yen piece over to Nitori and caught the ball in that same hand. She got into position simiarly to Alex but stuck the tip of her tongue out. Alex watched closely to see if he could catch Nitori's trap for a rematch, while Sanae handled all the cheering.

The targets were in motion, but Shina had an idea of how long to wait for the secret one. No, she had another plan in mind while she waited. She closed her eyes and perceived the world through aura, and sure enough Nitori's trap became easy to decipher. There was another Kappa controlling the secret target through a manual lever, and their muscles were tense. Utilizing one-way glass to see outside, the Kappa was ready to move the target just the slightest bit out of the way of any balls thrown.

Shina smiled with a giggle only she could hear and waited for the Loch Ness to appear from the murky depths. The moment it did she threw the ball straight at it, where it slipped by the crows and looked certain to hit. The target then froze for a millisecond, and Alex bit his teeth down and cursed Nitori inside his head. Yet then his eyes and mouth went wide, as did Nitori's, as Shina's ball connected with the target and knocked it around.

She threw her fist up with a hop and proclaimed, "I won! First try baby!"

"I-I-I-I..." Nitori was about to lose her lower jaw from how agape it was.

Keeping a sunshine-y attitude as she plopped her upper body down onto the counter, Shina looked at the dumbstruck Kappa and asked, "So can I pretty please have the fan as my prize?"

Nitori stared at her for a good few seconds and was terrified at the girl's overconfidence. It was scarier than the Tengu and Hakurei shrine maiden combined. With her giggle sending shivers down the Kappa's spine, she silently summoned a robotic claw from her backpack, snatched the fan from the wall, and handed it over all in one piece.

"T-Thank you...c-come again..." Humility forced Nitori's kinder side through, and in Shina's eyes that was just as good a prize as any fan. She took the fan and flicked it open before her face, giving it a couple gentle waves as she turned back to look at her companions.

"Well whaddya think? Don't I look like a princess now?"

"It suits you well Shina!" Sanae stated merrily.

Alex stood there fluttering his eyes and at a loss for words. He knew he should be complimenting her, and damn it, that fan did make her look more mature...But he couldn't ignore that he blew a great chance to make Shina happy, and all because of his damn overconfidence.

" _This was a mistake..."_ He thought, looking at the clothes on his back and perceiving them as worth less than rags, _"I'm not cut out for this sort of thing..."_

As his head began to slump a jolt in his spine forced it back up, and he could hear a nagging voice etching itself into his brain, _"What'd I say about keeping yer chin up kid?"_

Of course Mamizou couldn't have been around, but Alex shouldn't be faulted for believing otherwise considering how life-like the sound of her voice was just now. Real or not, it put just the tiniest bit of motivation into Alex's head to not give up. The night was young. He may have failed a couple times, but he could still salvage the date. And in fact, he started so by complimenting Shina sincerely, "Yeah I agree with Sanae, it especially brings out the color in your eyes."

Shina peeped and pressed the fan closer to her face, which turned dark red over time. She then twisted her head away and appeared ready to faint. Alex blinked a few times and murmured, "W-What did I do?"

Sanae just nudged him one with her elbow and wiggled her brows a couple times, giving an approving thumbs-up that just further perplexed the boy. He swung his hands out and looked to them both while raising his voice, "No seriously, what did I do?!"

" _Heheheh...!"_ A playfully innocent pair of voices came from the crowd to the west, and Sanae spun around and responded in surprise, "That's Lady Suwako!"

Amidst the crowd the goddess of nature was engaged in a game of tag with another girl roughly her size, who had jagged oni horns, a roughly torn white shirt and purple skirt, and a glazed over pair of eyes. Suwako leapt and failed to snag the oni's gourd, which she swung around in the air as bait. The moment Suwako crashed into a booth, Sanae cringed and began to murmur concernedly.

"Ooh...Oohh..." She turned back to Shina and exclaimed in a hasty panic, "Sorry I have to bail you two! Have a fun rest of the night!"

She then made a mad dash for her goddess while crying her name multiple times. As relieved as Alex was to have that third wheel off his back, he also found the idea of Suwako and the oni going at it to be...amusing, and wished he could spectate it for longer.

But like he told himself, he'd dedicate this entire night to Shina no matter what. So, he checked up on her and saw that she was gliding the fan around in the air like it was a makeshift plane. He had a brief smile at her having fun, but stopped when she saw him watching and tucked the fan back.

"So how'd you do it Shina?"

"Huh?" She perked her eyes and ears up.

"How'd you beat Nitori's scam?" He crossed his arms and waited for a response.

She took the fan up to her face and hid a playful smile. It was a simple matter of using a tiny bit of aura to guarantee the ball's success, but she instead chalked her victory up to, "Guess I'm just...naturally talented!"

Then a loud gargling sound caught the two by surprise, and it lasted long enough for Alex to realize it was coming from Shina. She sheepishly looked down, shut the fan, and admitted in a meek voice, "I...haven't eaten all day."

She bonked the top of her head lightly with her knuckles and made Alex smile. He then waved his hand out and groaned, "Geeeez Shina, you should've said so sooner. There has to be something to eat around here."

The sound of something heavy breaking behind them got their eyes wide and they turned back to see a cloud of dust kicked up where the oni and Suwako were going at it. After a couple blinks Alex coughed and remarked, "Just...not that way."

They snuck through one of the alleys to the right and got to a less crowded part of the village, then went on the hunt for something edible. But without Sanae as their guide they were once more as blind as moles on a sunny day, and wandered around for a good five minutes.

Shina's sense of smell was sharpened by her hunger, and thus all the unfamiliar scents swiftly overwhelmed her. She stumbled around and looked ready to collapse, but Alex managed to help her prop up against a nearby wall just as her legs lost support.

"Easy there Shina." He kept a hand to her back and noticed her skin was getting pale, a sign of low blood sugar. Thus he created a few nuts with his powers and fed them to her, which seemed to do the trick for now.

She pulled away from the wall looking no worse for the way and gave him thanks, but was quickly back to staring at her surroundings with a lustful glaze in her eyes, "There's just sooooo much to eat and so little time...I-I gotta have it all Alex!"

As drool slobbered through her lips and she curled and rubbed her fingers against the sides of her face, Alex was given the almost impossible task of snapping her back to reality.

"I'm pretty sure I don't have the funds and you DEFINITELY don't have the stomach for this."

"B-But..." Her lips bubbled as she was slowly getting lost in a sea of flavors, "Takoyaki...Curry...Stir fry...REAL Sushi...I-I've never gotten to have any of 'em before!"

" _Damn it Mamizou, you said nothing about how to deal with hunger of this magnitude...!"_ And as much as he complained about it in his head, her indecisiveness wasn't going to solve itself. But he simply had no idea what she'd even want, nor what booths were actually trustworthy.

"And here I thought that was the moan of a hungry werewolf. But t'was instead a pair of familiar faces..."

And as **much** as Alex wanted to be bailed out by some coincidential passerby, **THAT** person was dead last on his list right now. With a narrow stare that could burn through forests, he slowly creaked his head back and found that he was being approached by a group of three wearing European style yukatas. It was Remilia, Sakuya and...Flandre? Ignoring the absurdity of that last person being here for the time being, Alex noticed that neither vampire had their wings, yet had kept their hairstyles the same.

"You guys?" He groaned deeply.

"Has it truly been so short a time that you still stare at me with disgust, Mr. Overlord?" Remilia paused a few feet away from the boy and with her simply charismatic smile brushed the side of her hair and said, "Or perhaps you are finally captivated by the me you see now, whose beauty makes even the full moon turn pale?"

"..." Alex closed his eyes and fought with every fiber of his being not to vomit. Shina's vulnerable state of mind was not an excuse to suddenly start being a dick.

So instead he tucked his fists into both pockets and inquired, "How are you even hiding those wings right now? Those yukatas are way too small for that."

"Fufufu..." Remilia leaned her head back and leered at him with eyes bathed in crimson light, "Yet another mystery eludes your grasp, I'm afraid."

"Vampires can hide their wings. Remilia thinks its cool, but any of us can do it!" Flandre chipperly proclaimed, then had a cheeky grin as Remilia briefly lost her composure.

Shina managed to get herself away from the scintilating scents for a moment to greet the others with a wave of the hand and a pleasant tone, "Oh heeey Remilia. Didn't think I'd catch ya around these parts."

Then she caught a glimpse of the little sister and her heart skipped a beat in shock, "F-Flandre?! You too?!"

"Fufufu, hi!" Flandre bowed her head politely.

Alex and Shina looked at each other and thought the same thing, even going as far as to speak in perfect unison to Remilia, "Is this really ok?"

She crossed her arms and spoke confidently, "I have faith in my little sister's ability to handle a crowd these days."

"It doesn't hurt that Kokoro's here too." Flandre remarked.

" _Kokoro again? Oh wait, Mamizou mentioned Remilia during her story...But Flandre got wrapped up in that mess too?"_ Alex realized that he really needed to get more of the story from one of the people involved later.

"Ah yes, we were just about to go see the menreiki's Noh dance...And then we happened upon you two," Remilia took the prime opportunity presented to her to comment, "So...having stomach problems are we?"

Shina weakly laid her hands together before the face and gave the vampire a respectful bow, but the sudden drop of altitude left her feeling dizzy as she spoke, "W-We don't know what to eat..."

Remilia laid the back of her right fingers just below the chin and smiled across the cheeks, "Ah, so you're unfamiliar with the kinds of foods a festival has to offer. Yes, I think I can relate..."

She flicked the fingers out one at a time and suggested, "Why, there's plenty of human flesh available. You'll get your fill of protein and fats then."

Shina stared wide-eyed at the vampire for a few seconds until she chuckled and said, "I jest. No, I know of the perfect place to get a bite to eat. In fact, seeing how I too wish to wet my appetite before the dance...Why don't we go together?"

Flandre groaned like expected of a child her age and said, "But I'm not hungry Remilia! Can't I go see Kokoro by myself?"

Remilia turned her head and remarked, "Sakuya can escort you to meet her, I'll catch up later. Just remember..."

"Yeah yeah, I'll be good and honest, and won't take the lives of strangers!" One second Flandre bore her one fang as she grinned and giggled, then the next she had anchored herself to Sakuya's arm and tugged her along. The maid silently waved to her mistress with a calm smile and disappeared in seconds behind the nearest house.

"Fufufu...Well then, shall we be off?" Remilia once more held her guests captive by her will alone, but for once in his life Alex was glad to be getting ordered around by a vampire. He held Shina's hand to keep her from falling, and hoped the trip to the food stand was short.

The world listened to his wishes, and after a minute Remilia stopped in front of a mobile food stand with a homely feel to it. Smoke sizzled out from a flat iron grill laid out at the front and entered Shina's nostrils. She was able to rise up high on her toes and feel like she was floating amongst clouds. All other smells stood no chance of overpowering this perfect mixture of salty, grilled, seafood-y goodness that she didn't recognize in the slightest.

Even Alex couldn't escape, as the food's penetrating stench made his heart skip a beat, and it took him a few seconds to feel the trickle of drool coming from the side of his face. Remilia chuckled as she took residence upon the middle seat and bridged her hands to support her chin.

Shina and Alex got over the initial scent and had to sit down beside the vampire almost immediately, moving at such speeds that the smoke was forced back into the cook's face.

"Khh, khh...!" With some hagged coughs the cook waved their spatula around and revealed that they were a Youkai. More specifically, one based on a night sparrow. She had messy pink hair adorned by a blue tied up cloth, and pointed ears like an owl. Like most of the villagers, she had chosen to wear a brown yukata with strings of blue notes patterned around the bottom.

After she had gotten rid of the smoke, the Youkai rubbed her eyes and grumbled in a somewhat deep voice, "What was that, a tornado?!"

Remilia's entrancing gaze froze the poor sparrow as she gave her fairest greeting, "And how is your business faring on this fine evening, Mystia Lorelei?"

 **Mystia Lorelei ~ The Chef Who Sings Beautifully**

"Oh its just you..." She breathed a sigh of relief and took her spatula back to the grill, turning over a few freshly grilled pieces of a boney fish-like food as her salivating guests stared at them.

"...So are you paying for something or is the plan of attack to muck up my stand with your spit?" Mystia's voice was crass, as was her one-eyed stare, but that got the two lovebirds in line instantly.

"So this iiiisss..." Shina had the food's name on the tip of her tongue but Mystia filled in the blanks with a stoic bluntness, "Grilled lamprey."

"Grilled...lamprey?!" The trickle of drool was about to become a waterfall when Mystia swung the roasted tip of her spatula at her face and proclaimed, "Hey hey! Save the drool until AFTER you've taken a bite!"

Alex quickly laid a few of those 1000 yen pieces onto the counter and spoke up like a gentleman, "Sorry about that, she's famished. We'll take a couple pieces of your finest grilled lamprey, Mystia."

"Huh..." Mystia's attitude did a one-eighty and she got right to work after scraping the yen up into her hands and pocketing it, "Coming right up! And you Remilia?"

"Fufufu, I'll take two pieces all for myself. Just apply it to my tab and I'll have Sakuya cover it later, as usual."

"Got it!" She was quick on the draw when it came to flipping the lamprey over, and there was no unnecessary burns on the meat by the time she served them fresh on her pearl white plates.

"Take your time, they're hot!" She declared with pride. Thankfully, this saved Shina from burning her tongue, as she instead blew on it a couple times and THEN took a bite. Her teeth trapped that thin but succulent strip of salty goodness inside her mouth, where her tastebuds then disgested every single flavor seeping forth from within. Dozens of herbs and spices had been put inside, and none of them overpowered each other. It was a rainbow of pure concentrated flavor already, but then the true power of the lamprey was unleashed upon her vulnerable mouth.

The primary taste of the eel was bitter at first, but as the flavor was given time to digest it was rich with juices that gained a smokey aftertaste thanks to the choice of grill. Shina reared her head back as her eyes were forced shut, the overwhelming flavor being absorbed into her very being. Even her muscles, so weak from hunger, sprung back to life with incredible vigor and began to tingle from head to toe. Her knees buckled together, and the bottom of her lip quivered as she slowly creaked her eyelids open and saw a bright, heavenly light coming down upon her. An escort of winged eels rode a chariot made of salt and smoke flavorings, and within seconds she had been whisked off to seafood heaven.

Of course that last bit didn't happen, but would it really have been out-of-place in Gensokyo?

Alex sat beside her with his hot meal trapped in the mouth and both eyes wide, WIDE open. He really liked the lamprey, he really did, but he sure as hell wasn't going to make out with it like Shina appeared ready to. He pulled the lamprey from his mouth with a smack of the lips and could at least be grateful that she was enjoying herself that much.

But once again he was reminded that he had nothing to do with it. It was Remilia who had saved the day, much like Sanae did. So it was with great reluctance he gave a somewhat minor nod towards the vampire by telling her, "This place isn't that bad, honestly..."

"Fufufu, I'm glad you're both enjoying yourselves." She creased her lips into a smile and licked the last bit of lamprey from them.

"Don't think this makes up for painting a target on our backs though..." He then grumbled before taking another bite of lamprey.

She opened her eyes and pressed her hands upon the cheeks to remark, "Ah, so you _do_ still hold a grudge..."

He pulled the lamprey free and swung his head at her to proclaim with some bitterness, "Of course I do! Especially now that I heard what a certain _someone_ had to say..."

With perked eyes of interest the vampire leaned back and laid her hands before the waist, murmuring out of respect for Alex's own attempted secrecy, "Ah, so you spoke with one of the others."

"That has nothing to do with me anymore, regardless of my involvement then. I only wanted to play a game, nothing more...nothing less." Nonchalant attitude aside, she was making an effort to be sincere, so Alex couldn't keep fuming over that now. Dejected at how easy her 'apology' was, he took a bite of lamprey to finish it off.

"But you must admit..." She smirked his way while telling him, "You've gotten a good grasp of how Gensokyo works because of that, yes?"

"Huh?" Alex leered at her with a puzzled glare as she turned away and hid her intentions behind that playful smile. He was led to suspect that in her own peculiar way, the vampire had set that whole thing up to try and get the two more quickly accustomed to the ways of the world...

" _...Nah."_ He licked the skewer clean of its lamprey flavors and couldn't get behind that theory. It was just too...smart for someone so childish.

Even after finishing her lamprey off Shina craved more, but as Remilia brought to their attention Kokoro's performance was to begin soon. So to solve both problems Alex threw a few more yen Mystia's way and got Shina some grilled lamprey for the road.

She sucked out the flavors like the thing was a roasted lollipop and took her time with every bite, which was good cause there was a lot of humans the three'd needed to wade through to get a good view of the performance. A large wooden stage had been set up in the center of the village, looking as though it could house a dozen dancers.

But one brave little girl would steal all that attention for herself on this peaceful night, the tsukumogami of 66 masks, Hata no Kokoro. Yet that menreiki was a no-show at the moment, causing the anticipating crowd to whisper gossip about whether she had gotten cold feet. Remilia smirked confidently and whispered, "I have no doubt that girl shall dazzle these doubters..."

She then glanced up at the two lovers and whispered, "Well then, I shall be off...Enjoy your night, but remember to keep your eyes wide open as you sleep. Fufufu, who knows when we may hunger..."

Leaving only as someone of her stature could through the crowd, Remilia's presence became a distant memory as Alex grew more nervous being alone with just Shina again. The girl nibbled down the rest of her grilled lamprey and had both eyes focused on the center of the stage, garbling a few words out as best she could.

"Mrphh...fis'll be my fhurst thime watchung a Noh phlay..." She swallowed the food down in one large gulp and after wiping her mouth with her sleeve smiled at Alex and whispered bursting with glee, "Its soooo exciting, ain't it?!"

Surrounding her lips was bits of spices and just a little bit of juice, but none of that dared taint her pearl white smile. Hell, Alex could daresay that nothing could taint how beautiful her whole face was. Her eyes were like radiant emeralds, her skin was as smooth and spotless as silk, and her hair was like a curtain of gold waiting to be unfurled. Under the moonlight her beauty was at its peak, and Alex just wanted to press his lips against her and partake in that splendor all on his own.

But his heart was a beating, nervous wreck, and his feet were as stiff as concrete. Her face was just inches away, but he couldn't make the distance. He's crossed whole galaxies for this girl he loved, but he couldn't spare the strength to move just that little bit more.

Suddenly a howl of wind spread through the village and put out all the lanterns in a fifty foot circle, and Shina spun to look at the stage. Alas, the opportunity for love had passed, and Alex could breathe easy for now.

The whispers of the citizens died out as a single figure debuted on the stage, adorned by a faint pink spolight coming from a mask overhead. Kokoro was dressed as Alex remembered her, but she seemed a lot less nervous than before.

That change in demeanor made all the difference, for now this shy, emotionless girl had captivated an entire village of humans to watch in dead silence as she began her performance. She gripped the sides of her skirt and took a bow as ghastly wisps of crystal blue embers carried various masks to her sides. She held that bow for twenty seconds, letting the masks surround her in a circle.

Then she raised her arms to the sky, crossing them along the way, and summoned a bright aquarmine fan in each hand. The masks spread out clockwise until they reached the edges of the stage. The humans closest to it sprang back and gasped from fright and then to awe as the masks rose to the sky and brightened the stage with trails of harmless fire.

Kokoro twirled around and the light surrounding her feet increased in volume and intensity, while a small vacuum pulled the masks back to her sides. She then leaned to the left on one foot and pointed a fan at a pair of masks, making them shine much brighter than before. It was then that Alex noticed that the masks had some...very interesting interpretations of Reimu and Marisa's face.

Those two masks danced around and mimicked the kinds of Danmaku they'd use for a little bit, all while Kokoro twirled around behind them, drawing in the flames they dispersed and creating streaks of sparkling light from their energy.

As more masks debuted, the comparisons to other figures like Miko, Byakuren, and even Remilia became more obvious by the second, as did the story Kokoro was trying to tell the puzzled masses. It was the tale of strange friendships formed under even stranger circumstances, and at the center of it all was Kokoro. She drifted through these events as they played out around her, involving herself only so often to draw attention to specific moments and the emotions she felt during them, which could be interpretted through her own masks.

Her dance was poetry without words, and the ultimate expression of years of experience and artistic talent. It spoke volumes of how engrossing the Noh performance was when, despite half an hour passing, the whole thing felt like it took five minutes. The finale of the dance had the masks rising in a spiral around Kokoro to carry her around as she twirled nice and slow. When she was fifteen feet off the ground, the masks were dropped, and then she parted her arms straight out and took a bow as light returned to all lanterns.

She looked up at the crowd and floated to the stage, landing on her toes first. There wasn't one clap but a whole crowd of thunderous applause waiting for her the moment she landed, and none of the claps were as loud and energetic as Shina's were. She even threw in a whistle.

Kokoro bowed the same way she started, and not long after the applause drew to a close and the audience went their separate ways. The menreiki looked around and breathed a short sigh, then made her way to the front of the stage. As she lowered one leg down she poked her brows up slightly and caught Alex and Shina from the parting crowd.

"You two..." Her voice was young and monotone, as expected really. She then dropped down and got a couple feet closer, with Shina running up to close the rest of the distance. Her eyes were doing the usual sparkling thing, and she had her fists squeezed up at her cheeks.

"You're the cutest little girl I've _ever_ seen!" She then declared, "That's it! I've decided! You're gonna come home and become my second little sister!"

"No." Kokoro said right away.

"N-No...?" Shina froze up, and it was with great caution that Alex peeked around her to check her face. Her eyes were bubbling with tears and she forced a whimper through her lips, "B-But why?"

"Cause I've already got a big sister." Kokoro took a thumbs up over her shoulder and nudged it a couple times. Shina looked up and became even more devastated by the unexpected revelation that said 'big sister' was the delinquent Celestial Tenshi.

Carrying her vibrant sword the Hisou no Tsurugi over her shoulder, she rode a keystone to the ground with a bright brimming smile and declared to cease Shina's efforts in an instant, "That's right! The occupation of big sister's been filled by yours truly!"

She hopped down beside Kokoro and grappled her left hand around her shoulders to pull her in for a hug. Though Kokoro was squirming quite a bit to break free. Shina drooped her head so low she might as well been an ostrich and let out the biggest sigh until her lungs were empty.

Alex squinted his eyes and with a pointer finger flicked up from his chest bluntly inquired, "How in the heck could _you_ possibly be her big sister?"

"Huh?" Tenshi and Kokoro blurted simultaneously as they split apart.

Alex widened his eyes, bit his tongue down, and realized how personal that remark sounded. Rubbing the back of his head and forcing a laugh he reconciled his mistake by adding, "C-Cause you two look so different, yeah!"

Tenshi squeezed a grin and batted the sword against her back a couple times before stating, "Heh! Funny story behind that. You see...a few years back I was harmlessly wandering around Gensokyo looking to have fun-"

"She wanted to find me and use my powers to cause mischief..." Kokoro's sudden and blunt interruption made the Celestial choke on her words for a bit. The two then looked each other in the face for a brief period before Tenshi coughed twice and resumed the tale.

"A-And then I thought I'd treat Kokoro to a good time by showing her around Gensokyo..."

"And along the way she forced me to use my powers to change people's emotions for her own amusement..." Kokoro shut her eyes and even as stoic as she was failed to look amused.

Tenshi bit her lip for a moment and then kept at it nervously, "B-But it was a very important lesson about how to respect other people's personal space!"

"We broke into Remilia's mansion and beat up her sick librarian..."

"...A-And through many hardships we learned valuable lessons and came to see each other as sisters..." Tenshi barely squinted her left eye open and looked to Kokoro for approval.

Alex and Shina could've sworn for a moment that the menreiki cracked a tiny smile as she whispered, "Yes...we did."

With a long sigh and shrug Shina had to admit, "Well shoot, guess I'm outta luck then."

Kokoro held her right hand up and said with blessed innocence, "But...we can still be friends?"

Shina grabbed her hands with both of hers and shook it for a couple seconds while proclaiming, "Of course we can!"

The menreiki's heart started rushing as she quickly started to regret her decision. Tenshi lowered her eyelids and commented rather loftily, "Geez Kokoro, didn't you learn from last time? You can't just go makin' friends with every random stranger you meet."

Alex's eyes perked to attention and he asked of the Celestial, "Last time?"

Tenshi closed her eyes and she grinned extra wide as she pulled the same cheeky tactic he did a moment ago, "Y-Yeah, someone she tried to befriend took her candy behind her back. She was crying for days after..."

Kokoro glanced back and murmured "No I didn't..." in an attempt to sound more mature. As the two 'sisters' bickered back and forth for a bit, Alex thought it best to perhaps just try and get more of that story from Mamizou later. Even if he'd heard all the parts relevant to him, he couldn't help but be intrigued by how all these mismatched folk got involved...

After a brief respite from Shina's overeagerness, Kokoro faced the boy and stared at him with vacant eyes. She didn't mutter a word, just like before. He didn't feel comfortable leaving it at that and started to ask jokingly 'Is there something on my face?' when Tenshi instead remarked, "Alright Kokoro, its time I escorted you back home as promised."

The menreiki's attention was then all on her, leaving the boy to let out a despondent sigh. Kokoro then slowly shook her head and said, "I don't want to go home. I haven't had my dessert..."

"Your mom's gonna be upset if I let you get a sugar rush..." Tenshi patted her back with the sword a couple times and stared at Kokoro. The menreiki's eyes were wide as she literally murmured 'Staaaaaaare' and penetrated Tenshi's soul.

The Celestial laid her fingers against the forehead and flicked them out with caution thrown to the wind, "Ah to hell with it. Lets get a quick nibble, my treat!"

"Yay!" Kokoro threw her arms up but her declaration was monotone. Then as the best doting little sister she could be, the menreiki hovered glued to Tenshi's hip as they made their way back to the village.

Shina rested a hand against the side of her face and was enamored by their strange but simple relationship. For a brief second she saw herself as Tenshi, and Kokoro as her actual little sister. Her eyes widened, her heart skipped a beat, and after shutting her eyes that vision of the past was gone. She then curled her hands up near the chest and let out a brief sigh, her expression turning melancholic.

"...Soon sis, soon..." Her whispers of anticipation did not go unnoticed, and Alex slowly approached her from the side and patted her on the back to say, "We'll find it Shina, I promise."

She peeked over the shoulder and lightly nodded, then cracked a smile and wiped a lone tear from her cheek. She mouthed the words 'Thank you' but the sound of them was eclipsed by the sudden burst and brightened flare of a firecracker up above.

They slowly pivoted their heads to the sky as yellow and red sparks fizzled down to smoke, only to be replaced by more in smaller bursts. The sight of fire in the sky was like magic. It was vibrant, as though each spark contained the essence of life.

It hadn't been the longest of festivals, not even the best of them...But for these two it represented so much more, especially for Alex. He looked into Shina's eyes and saw the fireworks reflected in her pupils. She was dazzled, so dazzled that a bomb could drop and she'd not even flinch.

The beating of his heart grew louder than any firework. His sweating face was ripe with passion and his mouth felt as dry and cold as a desert. She had grabbed his hand without his notice and held it tight as though it was precious. Her own pulse was rocky, signaling to the boy that the time was right.

He closed his eyes and drowned every doubt, worry, and resistance in a single wad of saliva he gulped down. Then he puckered his lips and went right for a kiss on the cheek. He only lasted a second until the numbing nervousness forced him back to gasp for air.

He forced himself not to look at her face. Whether she'd be excited or disappointed would be too impossible a weight to bear. His body trembled and his muscles clammed up. Then, something soft and wet pressed against his cheek and sent blood rushing through his body. It held there for five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds...All while his body melted to goo.

Then it was over, and as that feeling left his face a soothing sound penetrated his ears...

"I love you too...Alex Whiter."

A decade of suffering, feeling alone and unwanted by the world, all felt worth it just to hear those words again. That exchange was their vow that their love would be forever...and suddenly, just like that, the festival ended with the fireworks' silence.

Everyone went their separate ways to rest or clean up, and those two just stayed and continued to look at the sky. Though soon Shina broke the silence by stretching her arms to yawn, bringing with it another problem to resolve.

"Well...guess we oughta hit the hay..."

"Geez, this night went by fast..." Alex rubbed the back of his head and inquired, "But where are we going to go rest?"

"We could try bunking at Reimu's?" Her giggling after saved Alex some breath responding.

"Ohohoho, mebbe I can help ya there..." That old-timer's voice was one-of-a-kind, and the two looked back to find Mamizou behind them. She had disguised as a human by elongating her hair and wearing puffier clothes to hide her tail, but she still wore that cheeky smile.

"So how'd it go?" She snickered at the blush the two had failed to notice they had.

Shina pressed her hands up and was filled with happiness in every word she used to recap, "We got to play a game and and won a prize from it, ate scrumdelicious grilled lamprey, saw Kokoro's wonderful Noh dance, and enjoyed the fireworks!"

"And that's it?" She said with brows raised.

Alex hastily answered, "Yep! It was a fun and totally normal date!"

The tanuki closed both eyes and slowly nodded her head, "That so eh? Well I'm glad to hear that! But yer havin' lodging troubles now, yeah?"

"Yeah. Does Gensokyo have any motels?" Alex regretted that question as Mamizou almost keeled over dead from laughter. After exhausting herself silly she answered in a more serious manner.

"Tell ya what, since I'll be outta the village ya can bunk at my place. 'S got a bed, bathroom, everythin' ya need to sleep comfortably."

But the most troubling thing on Alex's mind was, "Is it clean though?"

"Hehe, well not like I can just plug-in a vacuum," She cracked a grin and wagged her right hand out, "Don't get yer britches in a bonnet, it'll be as clean as a whistle in dere, trust me."

Shina bowed and quietly gave thanks, "We appreciate your generosity Mamizou."

Then she sprung right up and proclaimed, "So! Where do we hafta go?!"

The tanuki wiggled her right hand out between the two and said, "Back of the northern part of the village, the house on the left closest to the perimeter. You'll recognize it by the statue outside."

"Great! Thanks!" And like that she was off faster than a fired bullet. Alex fluttered his eyelids and was prepared to go after her when the tanuki wet her lips with a whistle and murmured ominously, "Yer in for the toughest night of yer life kid..."

She had already vanished by the time he looked back, and was left with a slight feeling of dread hanging over his body as he caught up to Shina. Following Mamizou's directions was easy now that the festival was settling down, especially as she had set up a stone raccoon statue outside her doorstep.

Shina took the plunge by pushing the shutter open and peeking inside, and Alex poked his head over her shoulder to look too. The floor, walls and ceiling were all made of wooden planks, and there wasn't even any indoor lighting. The worth this place held to Mamizou was obvious in how few necessities were inside. There was just the one bed in the center of the room, and maybe a couple painting scrolls on the back wall.

Shina trodded inside and looked around, noticing there was a single doorway in the back and remarking, "Oh! That must be the bathroom!"

Alex frowned and took a nice long look at that empty space to the left. No kitchen, not even a couch. This level of detachment from those kinds of things wasn't surprising, but it was a little sad to see. Now as far as the bed went, it did look a lot more comfortable than this land's time period would lead one to think possible. It didn't have a frame, but the mattress was six inches thick and had the softness of a cloud at first glance. There were two pillows at the top, and a blanket covered by a leaf pattern.

" _Wait a second..."_ He squinted again at the bed, and realized it was just the one...And it could easily fit two people their size. His face turned bright red and he internally cursed the tanuki for pulling this stunt.

Shina then looked back at him and wiggled her lips into a smile as she said with a lacksy-daisy attitude, "I'm gonna clean my face real quick and then hop in for the night, ok?"

Alex held his hand up but Shina walked right for the bathroom before he could say a word. He pursed his lips and hung his head to murmur, "How can you be so calm about this..."

His head sagged as it turned to face the bed. Just the mere thought of resting in the same space as her put butterflies in his stomach. While it would be easy to just tell her he'd stay up and keep guard, she might get insulted by that now.

To ward off undue stress the boy closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and rationalized this situation the best he could manage, _"Sleeping with a woman's just the next step up the ladder from kissing...Yeah, yeah...I can do this. Its just one night..."_

He walked to the left side of the bed and lifted the corner of the blanket to tuck himself in nice and slow. He stared vacantly at the ceiling as the minutes passed by with no word from Shina. He clutched the edge of the blanket and held it under the chin, kept company only by silence and darkness.

"Ok! Sorry I took so long!" Her victorious voice almost gave Alex a panic attack, and his face started to be covered by a cold sweat. He held himself together as she walked around and then got into bed with a bouncy plop. She covered herself right up under the sheet and partook in looking at the ceiling too. She stretched her arms up high and let out one very tired yawn.

"...Its been a pretty long day, hasn't it?" Her voice only reflected fondly upon the events that played out.

Timidly, Alex shook his head and responded, "Y-Yeah..."

The bed ruffled as she turned to look at him, supporting her head on one hand. She had an unassuming smile and her hair had been unfurled from its bun-shaped shackle. Alex looked at her and slowly breathed through his nostrils.

" _Thank god, she's still wearing her kimono..."_ Why that was the first thing that came to mind, not even he knew.

The pace of his heart worsened as the girl's eyelids began to crease shut with a sultry gaze, and she began to trod a couple fingers across the top of his chest like they were a pair of tiny hairs on his arms perked up as she stopped on the very center of his chest.

She lowered her head and let out a tiny gasp, then snuggled in deeper into the blanket. This behavior was a complete unknown to Alex, and so by comparison Shina came across an expert at whatever she was trying to do. Her face was just as red as his, and there were droplets of sweat trickling down the side of her face.

She looked unsure of herself, but unsure of doing what, exactly? She kept the mysteries of her mind sealed tight and gave murmurs of praise to the bewildered boy, "Y-You...really impressed me tonight...Alex."

"...I-I did?" He replied after gulping deep.

"Uh...uh huh..." She coiled her two fingers up and pressed the cold knuckles against his chest, feeling the tense rhythm of his heartbeat, "I...this night...would've been nothing to me if you weren't at my side..."

"...Did...did I really do anything..." He gasped his inner thoughts out.

"Yes! You...you..." She sheepishly pulled her hand away and curled it up next to her face, "When we first met...you'd have never taken the time to enjoy yourself...B-But you did it...for my sake, didn't you?"

"...I..."

She rose up and pressed one arm down on his chest, making his heart skip a beat as she stared into his eyes with a passionate fire slowly burning brighter within hers, "And that...that's just the sweetest thing you could've ever done Alex! Cause...cause that means..."

She looked down at herself and retreated right back under the blanket in embarrassment, mumbling in a barely audible tone, "...You're...you're really sincere about this...About...loving _me_..."

Alex couldn't say a word, and everything was quiet between them for a whole minute after. She then hid her eyes under the shade of the blanket's edge and murmured, "And I...I want to...s-show you how sincere **I** am too..."

She laid her hands on the ground and pushed herself up. Most of the blanket slid off her back as she hovered his left hand over his body and then planted it beside his shoulder. Then she crawled the rest of her body over his, pressing her kneecaps against his hips and putting the other hand next to the other shoulder.

His pupils dilated and his heartbeat got so fast that he could no longer keep track. She was sweating buckets, but kept his eyes locked squarely on his face. A dry gasp of air was all she gave him at first, for she wanted to see where his eyes would wander.

Beyond his control, that gaze of his did wander so. It went down the length of her shapely body and stopped at her waist. The obi...was gone, and her kimono all the more looser for it. She forced his gaze back up with a rough cough, and then moved her left hand up towards the chest of her kimono. She stared to the left and was quiet as she hooked her pointer finger under the fold of cloth and began to tug down.

"S-Shina, what are you..."

"Shut...shut up..." She bit her lower lip and squeezed her eyes shut, "P-Please..."

He didn't have the energy to resist, and every breath became a struggle. When Shina split her kimono down enough to expose her bare, hefty breasts, Alex died for two seconds. His 'corpse' then stammered with a barely intelligible raspiness, "B-B-B-B-Bah...B-B-B-Bah..."

She froze up and pulled her finger away, and the rest of the kimono came undone. Alex was too inexperienced to properly describe this breath-taking sight. Her breasts dangled from her chest, and were even bigger than he had imagined. Having seen the girl's mother in person a couple times, he could only appreciate how much genetics played a role in giving her these breasts.

Her waist was not too thin yet not too wide. It was the perfect, average size, and her abdomen was toned without a single gram of fat to offset it. Her hips were perfectly round like a globe, and she had on her a delicate, lacy pair of dark-blue panties. But what Alex would come to realize tonight was that he was infatuated by her legs most of all. Without jeans to hold them back, he saw them for what they were. Firm, muscular, and stretching out in perfect alignment with the length of his. All her features were complimented by some silky smooth skin, and a flawless complexion.

He should be happy that she presented herself like this. His innocent mind told him that much. But he was just so terribly, utterly confused. She sheepishly turned away, feeling as though what she offered wasn't enough. He shook his head a couple times and she widened her eyes with pale irises.

"...But...why?" He murmured.

She closed her eyes and answered honestly, "Because this is...my resolve..."

"H...huh?"

"My resolve to love you unconditionally until the day we both die Alex...B-But I don't want to keep this love to ourselves..."

Even Alex knew **exactly** what she meant by that. He shook his head, bit his teeth down and couldn't bear to look her in the eyes as he admitted, "N-No...No this isn't right Shina."

He shook his head some more and pleaded with her no matter how much it hurt, "We just had our first kiss not even an hour ago! You're going too goddamn fast and I..."

Tears squeezed out from his eyes as he said what troubled him the most, "I...don't think I can give you what you-"

She leaned in close, pressing her chest against his, and silenced him with a kiss on the lips. She held there for a whole minute, even as his tears trickled down between their passionate kiss. Then she pulled away, looked him dead in the eyes, and was crying herself, "I just...I just want to try...Please..."

And her meek voice resorted to begging with reason, "Because...I know that...through thick and thin...we'll still love each other...E-Even if we don't succeed..."

"Shina...I-I..."

There was little point in arguing it now. Shina was going this far not just for herself, but for him too. Rejecting her advances when he'd been plunged this deep into hell would truly leave him condemned for life. His body too weak to even move, he whispered with some reluctance, "I'll...give it a try...For both of us..."

The smile she gave would become unforgettable years down the line, and she sniffled those wandering tears into retreat before nodding her head and whispering back, "T-Thank you so much Alex..."

He turned his head aside and with a vacant stare in his eyes muttered, "B-But...I...I don't know the first thing about... _this_..."

"I...know a little..." She muttered with deep red cheeks.

The time for being secretive was long since past, but even THAT threw Alex for a loop. He sheepishly grinned and muttered, "Y-You...do?"

"...We'll just have to...wing most of it...ok?"

"...I-I...guess so?"

"And...don't be afraid of going too long..." She bit her lower lip as he obediently nodded.

"And...don't worry...If...if you're... _big_..." She mustered up some semblance of confidence and said, "I can...handle it...I think..."

He widened his eyes and broke the romantic tension a little by muttering, "Y-You idiot...why...why the hell would you say something like that?! I...I wouldn't even know the first thing about-"

She lunged right in and pressed his lips against hers. At that exact moment Alex's mind went blank, succumbing to an overwhelming wave of passion that flushed over his body. His body was no longer his to control, and everything that happened on this night would be a memory unforgettable yet difficult to recall. But this love was real, this love was true, this love...was all he needed to remain happy forever...

 _Next Time: What Next?_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Afterglow**

The sun rose the next morning, its light bathing the dew dripped lands and blanketing it in a blinding glitter. The few birds that fluttered throughout Gensokyo dove straight down to the Human Village to not only protect their poor eyes, but to feast upon the scraps left over from the festival.

Things had settled down quite nicely. All the stands ran by Youkai were gone, and not even their footprints remained. A few early rising humans got up to clear out the rest of the scraps and go about their usual business. The festival had left them all satisfied about their lot in life, and made them eager to do even better during the next one.

Time progressed slowly for everyone in the village, and one by one even the children peeled themselves out from under their sheets and greeted the dawn. Soon there was just two people glued to their beds refusing to get up, but those two had a very, **very** good reason for taking their time.

After a long, long night, Alex and Shina had slept snuggly under the comfort of the blanket Mamizou had left behind for them, which was now more wrinkled than a moldy prune. Their skin was hot and red, and a little bit of sweat remained on their faces. But it wasn't a bad, smelly sweat. It was the kind of sweat you could feel proud of, like if you had just finished a long day's work in a garden you created on your own.

Alex was on his back while Shina was laying on her side to the left of him. One hand of hers moved all on its own like a slithering snake, and found itself resting atop the boy's chest. Compared to the rest of her fevered, impassioned self, that hand was as cold as ice, and its lingering touch sent a signal to the boy's brain that awoke him in an instant.

He opened his eyes slowly and was tested by the rays of the sun coming in through the nearby window. They were stronger than usual and tried to force his eyes shut, but nevertheless the triumphed through the dawn's imposing challenge and lifted his head just a few inches off the pillow.

Then once his eyes were open all the way he paused and stared vacantly at the wall ahead of him. At first it was silent, giving time for his mind to reaffirm itself with reality. The events of last night were hazy after he had gotten into the house. He recalled crawling into bed and staring in much the same way he was now at the ceiling, and his heart was racing.

As that cold sensation tickled his chest a little more, and the tiny, alluring sound of satisfied giggling entered his ears, more of those lost memories began to resurface. The vivid details can be left to your imagination, but let it not be mistaken how genuine the boy's widening smile was as he recalled each and every moment of intense, burning passion that had occurred.

He looked down at her and saw that she had an even bigger grin than he did. While last night was a milestone in happiness for him, that happiness wasn't just his to have. He was just glad to have been able to share all those memories with someone like her. Those memories were theirs and theirs alone, and he'd never let them go anymore.

"I can't thank you enough, Shina Aurora..." His whisper of appreciation only nipped her ears, but was enough to make her body quiver a little. Then her hand pulled away from his chest and laid itself beneath her head, where she continued to snore like a soothing muse.

After letting everything sink in for a bit longer, Alex heard a few birds chirping away outside. "Ah", he whispered, now fully engrossed into the pleasantness of the morning atmosphere for the first time in god knows how long. He turned towards the window on the left side of the door and sought to enjoy the sun before getting up.

But then Mamizou was right there, laying on her side atop that windowsill with a smirk on her face and an incredibly difficult urge not to chuckle. Alex body temperature dropped to subarctic levels and his eyes shrank as much as physically possible. Then the birds' continued chirping helped add to the awkward atmosphere she had started.

She clicked her tongue twice and bobbed her head a little, then faced away from the boy. He breathed in deep through his nostrils, sucked his lips in, and clasped the edge of his blanket tight enough to tear into it. His face got bright red and made his irises look more pale than snow. He wanted to scream and swear at the tanuki until his voice tore the house down to the bare splinters, but having felt forewarned of his volatile outburst the tanuki quickly brushed a single finger down at the bed a few times.

Alex clammed up and looked down. Shina hadn't budged, which meant her serene, sleeping body could easily be held 'hostage' to secure Mamizou's safety from his wrath. He thrust his right pointer finger up at her, let out a hot gasp of air, then froze in that position for a few seconds before grunting quietly, "Wait right there...!"

He slowly pulled the sheet off and the tanuki averted her eyes from his naked form. She passed time smoking from the usual pipe while Alex went for his pants and underwear, which had somehow gotten stuck in the wall next to the bathroom.

As she heard him hastily zipper the pants up she tilted her head back and playfully remarked, "Who ever woulda guessed that the Elemental Overlord would be such a frisky horndog."

"You should be _grateful_ I'm giving you a headstart!" He growled through his teeth.

"That the way to thank someone for giving ya a place to sleep?" The tanuki pressed her lips together into a smile and partook in quiet laughter as Alex was forced to tip-toe around the bed to reach her.

He then pressed his face against hers so she'd see the white hot fury in his eyes as he told her off, "Just because you were generous doesn't mean we're obligated to put on a show you crazy old pervert!"

She glanced up at his forehead, which was still dripping with sweat, and then said nonchalantly, "So yer just fresh off another session or what?"

Alex flung his arms up and toppled Mamizou off the windowsill, then turned around and grumbled incoherently with a fist clutched tightly against his chest. His face was so red a vein could've popped anytime. The tanuki crawled back on her feet and rested her elbows on the windowsill to support her head, and then got a little more serious, "Relax, relax...I didn't see a thing."

The boy glared back with narrow eyes and she motioned a finger across her chest horizontally and vertically in two quick swipes, "Cross my heart and hope to die and what-not."

Alex kept his eyes on her as she tried her best to come off looking sincere about what she said. But the muddy nature of a tanuki's trustworthiness left him doubtful that was the case, and even she could tell that he felt that way. So with a brief shrug she pulled herself from the windowsill and reached into her pockets to whip out the full artifact.

"Well I guess I'll be brief then. Sad to report, but we scoured most of Gensokyo with a fine-toothed comb and couldn't find anything this stone coulda fit into."

He turned around, took the stone from her and gave it a nice long look. Then he gazed at her and said, "What do you mean _most_ of Gensokyo?"

"There's just sum places a tanuki dare not tread. May be a troublemaker but I ain't a lawbreaker."

"Oh so _that's_ where you draw the line?" Alex snarked with a bitter attitude. Mamizou raised her brows and remarked jokingly, "Guess there's some things a little lovin' can't fix, eh?"

Before he said something he'd regret, he paused to take in a deep breath and clear his mind of negativity. Then he looked down at the artifact and commented begrudgingly, "...You did everything you could, so thank you for trying."

As he was getting ready to turn around Mamizou tapped him on the shoulder a couple times with a paper's edge. Once she had his attention she put the paper between two fingers and commented, "Yer not at a dead end quite yet kid. I wrote down all the places and people of interest I couldn't touch. Hope it proves useful to ya."

She exchanged the paper over to him without a fuss and he immediately got to looking it over. The list was small, having only five points of interest total, but luckily they were all things he was familiar with. The Shining Needle Castle, the Underground, the Ministry of Right and Wrong, the Netherworld, and Hecatia. Only the last thing listed was a person, the rest were places to go.

"Is this really it?" He asked while holding the list up. The tanuki nodded her head once, and that was the end of that. He tucked the list into his pocket and with a deflating sigh remarked, "...Hard to believe we're so close that we can narrow our search down this much."

"Feelin' tense?" She murmured innocuously.

"...I am, but at the same time I'm not?" He stared upwards with a small smile and laid a hand against his chest, "My heart's pounding like mad but...I also feel confident that there's nothing I can't do. Is this...normal?"

"Ohohoho, can't say for sure," Mamizou perched her elbows on the windowsill again and slipped her tail out to give it a couple wags, "But if ye don't mind me askin', how was it?"

Alex's fingers curled up and with a light scowl he responded in a humored manner to her insisted prying, "Give it a rest already Mamizou..."

"Just tryin' to help if I can," The tanuki picked herself up and re-aligned her glasses to give them a glint before remarking, "But mebbe I'd be better off askin' her."

Alex twisted his head back and heard Shina stirring awake. He froze right up for a moment and then threw his hands at Mamizou to push her away while squeezing between his teeth, "Go on! Shoo!"

She proved surprisingly resilient for an old coot and remained a couple feet away from the window, forcing Alex to hang over the sill and keep trying to push her away. She giggled all the while, especially upon catching a glimpse of the boy's tighty-whiteys slipping out.

"Mrrrmmm...Alex? Are you up already?" Shina's half-awake voice locked Alex in place with his skin more pale than a ghost's, and the tanuki regretted not sneaking a camera in from the Outside World to capture this shot forever.

He stood upright and planted his elbows on the sill with his back to the tanuki to keep her hidden. While watching Shina sit up, he jerked his head back and hissed at the tanuki, who was glued to his back like a blood-sucking tick.

But when Shina started to yawn Alex dropped dead silent and gazed upon her. The blanket hung from her breasts and draped over the rest of her body, with her left arm helping to cover that part of her skin. Her cheeks were rosey and glistened in the sunlight long with her hair, which looked like a bridal veil made of gold. Her face looked to be at peace, but as she turned it to look his way he dreaded what would come next.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head with a smile and a simple greeting of "Good morning!", oblivious to how profusely Alex was sweating. He bit his teeth down and chuckled, "G-Good morning to you too, S-Shina...!"

The tanuki's soft giggling raised the hairs on his arms and he hopped right up and clapped his hands together to suggest, "Hey Shina! W-Why don't you hop in for a quick shower and then we can go get breakfast?"

She puckered her lips and tilted her head further, catching the glimpse of something brown and fuzzy waggling behind him and remarking, "Alex...is there someone behind you?"

That dreadful feeling in his gut was quickly coming to fruition, and though he tried and prayed for the tanuki to have a little decency to spare...Sadly, things were already predestined not to go his way. Mamizou poked her head over the boy's left arm and grinned, leaving Shina with the same look of sheer horror that Alex had just minutes ago.

The tanuki wiggled her nose and laid her elbows down, then with a proud and perky smile remarked in an apologetic tone of voice, "Pardon me dearly madam, I was lookin' for a pair of kids I was helpin' out. But it seems instead I wandered in on a doting couple on their honeymoon."

Shina fluttered her eyelashes for a bit, trying to wake up from this 'dream' she was having. But instead of escaping it she just plunged deeper and deeper until it was clear that this was reality. Then her pupils shrank, red face turned bright red, and she held the blanket higher to cover her indecency.

Mamizou was intent on milking the fun for all it was worth, and playfully waved a hand out while saying, "Like I ain't seen my fair share of bare knockers. There's nuthin' to be ashamed about here."

Shina lifted her head up and the embarrassment left her on the verge of tears. The tanuki grimaced and started taking a couple steps back, folding her arms within the confines of her sleeves, "Hmmm, maybe I oughta've thought twice about this..."

"Geez you think?!" Alex scoffed her way, then cautiously moved away from the window as he felt intense, murderous pressure being beamed at the tanuki.

The next second Shina had grabbed the pillow she laid on, swung it overhead like an ogre's club, then threw it with all her strength while yelling, "STUPID DUMB MAMIZOU I HATE YOU!"

The air pressure from the pillow pounded Alex's gut as it passed by, and might've even taken the tanuki's head off had she not intercepted it with her tail. With a gruff "Oof!" she lowered the pillow and had a trembling face. Shina covered herself back up and was glaring at the tanuki with the devil's eyes.

Alex was a little terrified to see Shina so unhinged, but at the same time...he was kinda aroused.

Mamizou stood up, let the pillow fall to the ground, and then bowed her head with a casual farewell of, "Well I already did what I came 'ere for, so I'll leave ya youngin's be. Good luck, but try not to be strangers ok?"

She zipped off in a flash right as Shina threw the other pillow and hung over, furiously and dryly panting. After curling her hand tightly around the blanket and holding it back up, she caught her breath and stared up at the ceiling.

Alex walked to her side and she turned to face him. The longer she looked, the more her anger subsided, until eventually she went back to smiling, and even threw out a joke regarding what played out, "She coulda had the decency to knock first!"

He stared blankly at her and then started to laugh. He went at it slowly and then once Shina started joining in their laughter got a few decibels louder. They kept at it for a full minute until Shina slowed down and went dead silent, turning to look down at the blanket with a blank stare. Alex wiped a tear from his eyes and noticed Shina's distrodden expression, then sealed his lips up and glanced away awkwardly with a quick whistle.

"...Please get my clothes Alex." She whispered while curling the blanket up next to her chest.

Alex shut up and scurried around the room, shaking his head around to see where her stuff was. It only took five seconds for Shina to gently nudge him in the right direction, "The bathroom, Alex..."

He apologized with a blunt nod and then rushed in there, grabbing her clothes off the ground and presenting them to her in a flash, save for her panties, which she grabbed from off the ground. After having him lay those clothes on her lap she closed her eyes and sighed, "Ok, now don't look at me while I get dressed..."

Alex blinked a couple times and then with a light pat on her back jested, "I-I think we're a little past that point n-"

"Alex," She raised her head, gained an inkling of fire in her eyes, and said in a deep, quiet voice, "I said don't look at me...Ok?"

The boy's mouth went dry, so he ended up gasping out "G-Got it..." as he turned away. While she pieced together her wardrobe, he grabbed his shirt off the ground next to the windowsill and started putting it back on.

" _Geez, why's she acting like this? Its not like I did anything wrong last night..."_ His eyes widened as the possibility of his own fallibility struck him hard in the face, _"...Right?"_

He peeked over his shoulder and saw that her face was obscured by her putting her shirt on. He swung right back and with a flustered look in his eyes shook his head and grumbled. Then he crossed his arms and tried to think this through, _"I'm not sensing any hostility from her, so its got nothing to do with that..."_

" _Hrrrmm. Maybe I should just...ask."_ The boy dared to tread those dangerous waters in order to make things right, and asked with the subtlety of an elephant, "S-So Shina, ummm..."

She paused and glanced his way while working on her jeans, and he immediately got cold feet. He shook his head some more and mumbled "N-Never mind", and she kept working.

He then bit his tongue, scoffed bitterly at himself and with a frustrated swing of the arms exclaimed, "Oh to hell with it!"

He then spun back, laid a hand against his chest and inquired in a begging tone, "If I did something wrong then tell me, I can handle it, I swear!"

"I-I don't know!" She spurted with the red in her cheeks increasing tenfold. Now fully dressed, she lifted her legs up and hid her face in them.

Alex pulled back and stammered, "Y-You don't?"

She peeked her head out just a little and looked ashamed of herself as she bore her heart for the one she loved, "Its...not like I have any prior experience."

He looked away and rubbed the back of his head while whispering, "That applies to us both."

He then looked her in the eyes, held his arms out, and struggled to find the right thing to say, "W-Well...umm...God...D-Did any of it feel good at the time?"

She lifted her head up and declared, "Of course it did! All three-"

"Shina I don't think we want more Mamizous popping up...!" He quickly defused her praise, though more because he felt embarrassed for forgetting how many times they had done it, and didn't want to be reminded.

The end result was the same regardless of the reason behind it, as Shina pursed her lips and whispered 'Oh sorry!' before continuing on in a more personal level of volume, "It...it was like...Every time we did it, I could feel our souls melding into one."

He gulped deep with sweat forming on his brows and pondered, "...Th-that's good, isn't it?"

She swung her head up and nodded until her head was dizzy, all while insisting at the top of her lungs, "Of course...Of course it was! An Aurian connecting with their partner on a spiritual level means they're perfect for each other!"

The bits of hesitation in her voice, however, suggested there was something personal she was leaving out. But the dread of waiting for her to elaborate lasted only a little while as she curled her fingers up below her mouth and murmured in embarrassment, "But...that's only for... _emotional_ bonds..."

"Oooooh..." He nodded his head a few times, but then tilted his head and thought, _"I don't get it..."_

She let out a long sigh and started pulling herself out of bed while trying to be more optimistic about things, "But its ok! We'll just have to get better at it!"

Her firm clap of the hands and smile was meant to mark the end of this conversation, but not only had Alex been thrown for a loop by the beginning, but he must've missed the middle cause he sure as hell didn't understand this end.

" _Get better at what? Get better at WHAT?!"_ He was too much of a coward to say that aloud.

She tucked her hands back, leaned out, and encroached upon the boy's personal space with a close-eyed grin and inquiry of, "So how'll we start our day honey bun?"

He coughed at the spontaneity of the nickname and then turned aside, waving a hand up beside the head while remarking in a clear voice, "I was serious before about getting breakfast..."

"Sounds good to me!" She rose up full of spunk to tackle the new day, shedding off the woes that had plagued her just moment's ago. Even with his limited experience with relationships, he could piece together that just sitting down and talking like that helped a ton.

"Ok, but what are we going to do about the stuff we borrowed from Byakuren and Miko?" He said while looking at his robes hanging from a loose plank in the ceiling.

"Mamizou owns this house, so she can just come 'n pick 'em up later, I guess."

Laying a hand against his hip Alex nodded a couple times and firmly emphasized every word of agreement, "Yes she can!"

The two rushed out the front door and were only then reminded that they were still in the Human Village. They froze up as a few of the humans stared them down, with Alex fearing that their frisky escapades didn't go unnoticed in the middle of the night. But instead one of the humans pleasantly called out to them, "Hey, welcome to the village!"

" _...Oh right, they'd think we're outsiders now."_ Alex breathed a deep sigh of relief alongside Shina. The two exchanged a brief glance at each other and smiled, then afterwards he wagged his right hand around in circles beside the face and weakly said, "S-So we're both in agreement this just stays between us right?"

Shina laid a hand upon the side of her face and let out a terribly long sigh, "Ooooh, if only we could just brush it under the rug...But mom's gonna be sooooo mad when we get home."

"Y-Your mom?" Alex tensed up with a gulp as the information he needed was forcibly placed at the front of his mind, which caused him to scratch the side of his scalp and growl, "Son of a bitch, I forgot your mom's clairvoyant!"

Alex wished he had a genie's lamp, as the first thing he'd ask for is that all old women weren't such massive perverts. Shina then took his hands into hers and held them before her chest, proclaiming with a resolve of certainty, "It doesn't matter what she thinks! We made our decision as grown-ups, so if she's gotta problem then 'phooey' to her!"

"...W-Well when you put it that way," He was really getting into this headstrong side Shina had developed, which thankfully didn't take away from her bubbliness, "Lets just...cross that road when we get there ok?"

She pulled her hands away and bonked the top of her head with one. Alex then put his hands in his pockets and remembered the paper Mamizou had given him, pulling it out to hand off to Shina.

"Almost forgot. Mamizou finished her search, but there's a few places she wasn't able to check."

Shina looked at the list and murmured, "So she didn't have much luck either? Awww, that's kind of a bummer..."

"Yeah, but at least she narrowed it down for us. Though I have no idea where we should check first."

She waved the list out next to her face and was struck with inspiration, "Weeeeell...why don't we just like, ask someone who'd know their way around these places?"

"You do realize that'd narrow our options down to just Reimu and Marisa right?"

"I wouldn't mind seeing Marisa again!"

"Lets worry about breakfast first and then hit up the shrine to see if she's there."

"Sounds good to me! Should be much easier to find a place to eat now that there's less stands out!"

After tucking the list into her back pocket Shina and Alex headed into the village to find some grub. Not long after reaching the center of the village however, the two were greeted roughly by a familiar face.

"Fancy runnin' into you here!" It was Marisa, who strolled up to them wearing the same clothes as yesterday with both hands held behind her head.

Shina waved her hand up and proclaimed, "Marisa, what a coincidence! We were just thinkin' of finding ya!"

"Oh yeah? That is a coincidence!" The little witch cracked a smile and asked, "So what can I do for my star pupils?"

"...Wait I'm sorry can you repeat that?" Alex's inquiry was drowned out by Shina yelling, "We need your expert opinion on our search for the Cosmos Drive!"

"Still at that eh? Heh," Marisa rubbed the bottom of her nose with one finger and propped herself up on a high pedestal, "Well there ain't no expert with more expert- _ise_ then yours truly! Heck, folks around me call me the Super Expert, Marisa Kirisame!"

After confidently thrusting her finger out and chuckling she laid her hands back behind her head and remarked, "But I'll hafta put a rain check on helpin' for now. Stomach's callin' and I gotta answer!"

"Actually we were going to grab a bite to eat too. Mind if we tag along?" Alex stated politely.

Marisa shrugged and said, "Fine by me, but you're paying then!"

She headed for the northern part of town, and Alex squinted narrowly her way. Shina looked at him and giggled, "Awww she's just ribbin' ya Alex."

He raised his brows at her with a drawn-out hum and her smile disappeared quickly. Alex sighed, shook his head and murmured "I'll catch up in a bit" before retreating to Mamizou's house to retrieve the remaining yen from Miko's robe.

A few minutes later he had caught up to Shina and Marisa at a simple, human developed food stand, and sat down next to Shina. The scent of food here wasn't as strong as Mystia's, but it did have that homely feel that reminded Alex and Shina of their kitchens.

An honest-to-god normal looking old lady served their food up with a smile, giving each of her customers a bowl of egg-fried rice with soy sauce, green onions and curry powder while shooting up a quick conversation with Marisa. After Alex handed the money over for all three of them, they began to dig in with the chopsticks.

After a few bites Marisa let out a satisfactory gasp and patted her stomach, then swiveled at Shina and remarked, "Well since you guys so _generously_ paid for breakfast, I guess I'll take a look at yer problem now!"

Shina pulled the list out and waggled it around for a bit as she explained, "Mamizou scoured Gensokyo for the Cosmos Drive, but there were a few places she couldn't go. We were kinda hoping you'd tell us a little about each one?"

Marisa swiped the paper clean from her hand and stretched it out in both of hers, squinting her eyes tight to take her time looking it over. She then shrugged it out and remarked, "Doesn't seem too bad honestly!"

"We need a little more to go on than that..." Alex grumbled.

"Oh yeah, you've _still_ not gotten used to Gensokyo? Geez, most humans adjust in a day!" Marisa was being a playful braggart as usual, but Alex still felt the need to think sarcastically, _"What, via brainwashing?"_

Marisa put the paper down next to Shina and said, "If you want the Super Expert's opinion, you'd have the easiest time going to the Shining Needle Castle first. Its easy to break into, and the owner's smaller than this here grain of rice!"

Her way of perceiving easiness being reliant on how difficult it is to break into notwithstanding, Marisa did have a more important point to bring to the table, "Plus ya can't miss it. Its a giant upside-down castle in the sky!"

Alex turned around and found said castle floating around like any other cloud next to the Youkai Mountains. After a short nod he leaned back to look at the magician and say, "Guess we'll hit that place first, but what about the others?"

"Youkai aren't supposed to go Underground, so they say, but humans can go just fine. Not that most of them do, cause the Youkai there are summa the most dangerous, ornery bastards this side of the border!" Marisa smugly smiled at Alex and said, "But if yer feelin' up to the challenge, you'd probably have the best of luck at the Palace of the Earth Spirits."

"As for the other two places, they ain't exactly in Gensokyo...But the way to them's so easy to reach they may as well be open doors! Just watch out at the Ministry, cause ya might be get chained down for hours by that judge's naggin' lectures." The witch shivered at the thought and started back in on her breakfast as Shina re-examined the list one more time.

"What about this 'Hecatia' person?" She inquired.

"Oh ch'yeah, her," Marisa finished gobbling her food down and then wagged the chopsticks Shina's way, "Kinda caught me by surprise that tanuki knew about her."

"Is she hard to find?" Alex asked.

"Beats me!" Marisa was blunt but honest, "She might be livin' in the Dream World? Maybe she's Underground cause it reminds her of Hell? She'd definitely stick out like a sore thumb with that ugly shirt of hers."

"We can try the Dream World then." Alex remarked.

"Ha! Good luck with that!" Marisa's blunt warning had to be taken seriously in spite of it coming from Marisa precisely because she was Marisa, cause if even she's tryin' to deter someone from doing something crazy, then it must not be worth the effort.

After rubbing her eyes and putting on a hearty grin the magician tucked her arms behind her head and remarked, "Well that's all I've got! Hope my super expertise was what ya needed!"

"It was **exactly** what we needed! Thank you **so** much Marisa!" Shina said with the utmost praise, and Marisa got a mite bit embarrassed by that overwhelmingly positive reception.

"Well schucks, just cause yer my star pupil don't mean I need to be buttered up like that! But hey, maybe now ya can do me a favor as exchange for helpin' out?"

"I thought the breakfast was our favor?" Alex snarked dryly.

"No no no, I'm callin' in a different favor 'ere!" After swinging her hands around she reached into her hat and pulled out her mini-hakkero then gave it a quick flip while flashing a smile full of confidence, "Word around the street's that you two've gone undefeated in every Danmaku challenge you've faced! So I think its high time I cash in on the vampire's challenge and beat ya both myself!"

Shina retracted a bit and murmured, "O-Oh...that's it?"

Marisa's brows raised and she blurted in shock, "What, ya ain't in fightin' shape?"

She shook her head a few times and insisted that wasn't the case, explaining to the ordinary magician after, "I'd love to face you in Danmaku Marisa, but...Can't it wait until after I've saved my people?"

Marisa hummed a little and then gave her hakkero a flip before tucking it away in her hat, which she then patted down while grinning, "Fine, I'm holdin' ya to that promise! The _exact_ moment ya finish up yer business here you come right back and face me in a Spell Card duel, got it?"

Shina held her right pinky out and said, "Its a pinky promise!"

Marisa shook her head then swung her full hand out, grappling Shina's with all her strength and declaring, "Damn straight it is! And I ain't gonna go easy on ya either!"

Afterwards it as a simple matter of cleaning off their plates, thanking the lady for her fine cuisine, and then going their separate ways from Marisa. Then Alex took the list back from Shina and recalled all of Marisa's advice.

"So the Shining Needle Castle's our next destination then?"

"Actually, I was kinda thinking it'd be better if we split up to cover more ground." Shina suggested with an eager grin plastered to her face.

"That's not a bad idea. I was honestly thinking the same thing," Alex tucked the list in his pocket and pulled out the round black and gold stone tucked within, giving it a couple flips in the air while remarking, "So while you go to the castle, I'll go hunt down Hecatia in the Dream World. With the Gaia Temporis I'd have better luck breaking in than you would anyways."

He clapsed the stone and put it back in with Shina's eyes locked onto it the whole time, each brimming with curiosity that he caught from the corner of his own. With a quiet chuckle that was his way of indicating he'd satiate that curiosity someday, he gestured a hand towards her and remarked, "And once we're done we'll meet up at the Underground entrance whether we've found the Cosmos Drive or not, ok?"

She firmly nodded her head a couple times and was glad to be making some leeway, as was Alex. Then they took off from the village and went their separate ways, neither of them worried for each other's safety. Cause if either one of them were in trouble, the other would come to their rescue without a moment's hesitation.

 _Next Time: Small vs. Big_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Hero of the Shining Needle**

Shina left the Human Village and Alex behind with a warm, happy, fuzzy feeling in her chest. She felt like there was gallons of blood flooding in to her cheeks, as though the dam in her heart burst wide open.

She simply could not get last night's events out of her head. _"I've never felt so happy before!"_ and _"I wish I could relieve that night forever and ever!"_ was how Shina could best summarize her feelings. She could feel a fuzziness in her brain that was like a flurried snowstorm, making it difficult to think straight.

All that blood rushing to her head didn't help, and she began to slowly twirl around in the air until she was flying on her back. She felt the gentle breeze caressing her body, and it made her imagine that a hundred tiny fairy hands were giving her a massage.

And thus she slipped further into bliss, and that was fine by her. Everyone should be this happy, she thought, and they should be this happy all the time. Only one thing could have made this better, and that was sharing this feeling with her family.

Her mother would likely be steaming mad at first. "Young lady, you did WHAT?!" Shina imagined and immense exaggeration of her mother's voice. But she knew that once her mother became a granny for the first time ever, and held that cuddly bundle of warmth in her arms, she'd melt like the snow in spring.

And her little sister would be promoted to the role of little aunt for the newborn. It was Shina's highest hopes that her sis would end up handling that kid with the same abundant energy she had done with her. Imagining her little sister with a baby no bigger than a doll was like the cutest thing possible, and she clasped her hands against her blushing cheeks and let out a high-pitched "Awwww!"

"Oh!" But then with a gasp Shina realized. She was spending so much time thinking of how her immediate family would react to the news that she hadn't put into consideration into how her and Alex, the child's own parents for crying out loud, would handle their duties.

Shina wasn't too worried about herself, personally. She'd gotten years of experience helping her mom raise her little sister, so really, how hard could it be raising her own kid?

But when it came to Alex...

 _Bonk!_

"Owie!" Shina felt her insides being pressed together like an accordian for a moment as a sharp, throbbing pain pentrated her skull. She turned around while rubbing her head and found her mouth slowly expanding in awe as she gazed upon a giant, mesmerizing castle.

She had diligently spent entire nights and days reading old books on Japanese history, so this Edo period architecture was a cinch to identify. But what was 'Sooooo coooool' in Shina's eyes was that the castle floated upside-down in the sky like an orbiting satellite. The castle's presence turned the surrounding skies an orangish pink, like something right out of a fairy tale.

Shina needed no invitation to enter, for she was already off and running on the hunt for the castle's entrance. She performed a slow, winding scan of the perimeter from the bottom to the top. Or would it be top to bottom in this case? Shina could only ponder on that for a little bit before resuming her search.

There were ten stories to look over, but for Shina that was nothing compared to how big the sacred temple of the Ten Sages was back home...Not that she'd ever scaled it before, nope! Not at all!

The front door ended up being at the 'top', which left Shina disappointed, who'd hoped this magical place would've had a less mundane entryway. The door was crimson like the skin of an apple and more bumpy than a lizard's hide, while also, regrettably, having no handles.

"The Shining Needle Castle..." Shina murmured only to herself, "Its really a lot more..."

She slumped her mouth and shook her head a bit as the castle's pristine magic coating lost its luster quickly, "Bleh...then I was expectin'."

With a gentle shoulder shrug she pepped herself back up by saying, "Oh well! Like they say, ya can always find gold in a needlestack!"

That metaphor was so twisted up that Shina could feel her own brain being wrung out like a damp sponge once she said it. After recollecting herself she floated to the door, brought her fist up, and gave it a couple tiny knocks while speaking aloud each sound she made.

"Knock!" The door creaked open, slowly but curiously, right after the first knock. Shina withdrew her hand down by her hip and whispered a curious hum, "Knock?"

She inched closer to the door and gripped her fingers tightly around the edge. She wanted to make as stealthy an entrance as possible, but even budging the door ajar with the delicacy of a kitten made its oiled hinges squeal.

Alas, Shina had already invested in this intrusion too much to care now, so she just forced the door open and went inside. But hey! Maybe the castle's lone owner would be benevolent? ...She could only pray that'd be the case.

After shutting the door nice and gently she held both hands around her mouth and hollered 'Hello?' Her voice reverbed down the long empty hall and then made its way back to her. Then she yelled it louder with a sprinkle of moxie, and it came back faster but lasted longer.

"Spooky!" She smiled right in the face of this haunting atmosphere as she then took a look around. The ceiling as the floor, the floor was the ceiling, and thinking too deeply on it left Shina disoriented with a headache. She shook it right off and floated further down to explore.

She saw many doors with faint orange light seeping through, but not the single shadow of a person through those doors. Shina figured there had to have been furniture aplenty going to waste in each room. And the halls looked pretty, certainly, as they were polished with care. But without any pottery or decorations Shina felt that all that hard work was wasted.

"This is just one big fancy warehouse." But if there was a silver lining to that, it was that a warehouse for fancy antiques would be a fitting place to store the Cosmos Drive.

She stopped in the middle of the hall and tried to call out once more, only this time screaming at the top of her lungs, "Is anybody home?!"

It took a few seconds for the echo to settle down, but when it did Shina was glad to hear a faint response of 'Hello!' right after. She swore that she wasn't hallucinating that the sound was coming from the stairs when she cheerfully hollored out, "I'm over here!"

But then the voice surprised her by responding, "I know! I'm right below you!"

Shina fluttered her eyelashes and looked down but there was no one there. She then peered over her shoulder and still found no one. So she started to spin around and around in that odd, uncomfortable pose, yet only made herself and her 'invisible' company dizzy.

"W-Whoooa...S-Stop it! You're making my head spin!" The voice pleaded shrilly. Shina slowed down and let her head stop rattling, then tried looking down again. Still nothing.

She raised her hands to her mouth and yelled, "Are you invisible?! Cause if you are, that's cool! But I'll need a teeny, tiny bit-a help finding ya!"

"Teeny tiny?!" The person's voice suddenly got a lot angrier and growly, like how Shina imagined a bear would speak if they knew a lick of English.

"I'm not tiny, your melons are too big...!" During a bitter, barely audible fit of grumbling the voice got closer, and Shina eagerly waited to see the person make their appearance. But after ten long seconds of staring forward there was still nothing.

It was starting to feel like the person really _was_ invisible. But then Shina felt something as light as a ladybug planted itself on top of her chest, and poked her head down with wide, curious eyes. Then she swung it back up as the little person bounced off her chest like a trampoline, and flailed her arms to hover one foot away from the center of Shina's eyes.

The person had the body of a ten-year old girl shrunken down to a few inches tall. Her short, lavender hair was topped by a flat unpatterned saucer, and she wears a cute little pink kimono with a pinstripe pattern, some flowers, and a black Obi. She carried a sewing needle as tall as her in her right hand, and even without light it shined.

The little girl kept bouncing, and every time she landed her tiny bare feet sent a nipping chill into Shina's chest. There was tiny streaks of red under her closed eyes as she was yelling furiously about...something. Shina unconsciously drowned the girl's voice out and watched her with a long, vacant stare.

The little girl's arms flailed faster and she squeaked at the top of her lungs "Are you even listening to me?!", which briefly snapped Shina out of her trance. The girl kept ranting a little bit more, but now Shina began to stir. She lifted her hand up and caught the tiny thing atop her palm.

"W-What are you...?" The girl froze up in confusion as Shina slowly raised and lowered her hand. The tiny girl couldn't have weighed more than a quarter, and when she was this close to her face she made Shina feel like she was handling a gumdrop. All the same really, cause Shina just wanted to take this tiny girl's sugary sweetness and gobble it right up!

Shina creased her lips into a smile and the rest of her expression melted into place to compliment it. She let out a long, quiet hum, but for the tiny girl that subdued sound was more frightening than an ogre's growl. The girl's skin paled, she took a couple steps back, and got only predatory vibes from Shina's smile.

"P-Please don't eat me..." She coddled her needle in both hands before her waist and shyly fiddled around with her feet as she patiently dreaded her fate.

Shina raised her pointer finger and hovered it near the girl's face. She just couldn't believe how something this small could be so, so _cute_ , even when frightened. As she felt a warmth in her cheeks Shina tilted her head and giggled, "Don't worry ya silly goose! I ain't gonna eat ya!"

"...You're not?" The girl eased up, only to have her anger incited when Shina's fingertip started poking and prodding her cheeks. Shina gently dug the tip of her fingernail in and made circular motions, all while humming comfortably to herself.

At first the little girl was flustered, but then she puffed her cheeks and began to growl. She squeezed her eyes shut, took her needle sword in hand, and began to wave it around recklessly.

"Shoo, giant! I'm not your plaything!" But that's the thing about being reckless. Even with good intentions in mind, like stopping yourself from being treated like a doll, one wrong move could cause things to spiral even further downhill.

In this case, the tip of the needle cut Shina's skin and made her pull it and her hand back while letting out a squeak of 'Owowowie!' This cost the tiny girl her footing, and she fumbled back down onto Shina's chest. She landed on _just_ the right spot to start bouncing and rolling down it, culminating in her tumbling off the edge while letting out a pale shriek.

Shina finished suckling the tiny cut dry of blood and poked her head forward, whispering in a worried voice, "Is everything alright?!"

Luckily the little girl had fallen into a large black ceramic bowl with a flower-patterned border, catching herself on the edge with one hand. She hoisted herself up and used her elbows for support, then raised the bowl so it was dead center with Shina's face. The girl was nervous, understandably so after two near-death experiences over the course of a minute, but still looked her guest in the eyes and spoke up with a perky, youthful voice.

"A fall like that's nothing for someone as strong as me! W-Why...I practice falling like that all the time!"

"Oh, so ya can't fly on your own?" Shina inquired with a surprising amount of perception from herself. She then saw the little girl get very embarrassed, which made her even cute than Shina thought possible!

"N-No! Not...normally." The little girl then grabbed her hat to hide her blushing face.

Shina couldn't help resting her fingertips up by her mouth and giggling. She then tucked her arms back and leaned her head closer to ask, "So what's yer name?"

The girl drew her hat back until on eye was visible. She then poked her other eye out and laid her hand back onto the edge of the bowl. Finally, she shed her shyness right off like a worn-out set of clothes and widened her mouth to proclaim louder than a trumpet, "I'm Sukuna Shinmyoumaru! I-I'm the princess of this castle!"

 **Sukuna Shinmyoumaru ~ The Tiny Hero with a Huge Heart**

"I'm Shina, Shina Aurora!" Shina pulled herself back, scratched the side of her face, and chuckled innocuously, "Sorry for frightenin' ya, but yer just so friggin' adorable!"

Sukuna fluttered one hand out like a fan and giggled back in embarrassment, "S-Stop it! I'm not that cute!"

"Tee-hee! Yes. You. Are!" Sina gently frisked Sukuna's face with one finger, unsubtle about her emotions, "Ya might JUST be cuter than Kokoro even!"

Sukuna's face turned bright pink as she held her cheeks. But she then lost her grip and slid down the bowl. Shina went to her rescue and put her hand in backwards so Sukuna'd land safe on her fingertips. The inchling then leapt back up and muttered shyly, "T-Thank you!"

Sukuna stared at Shina's smiling face and inquired, "So why did you come here Shina?"

"I'm trying to find something called the Cosmos Drive. Might it be possible for me to take a look around?"

"Hmm...I don't knoooow..." Sukuna's sudden sing-song tone of voice was easy for even Shina to identify as the seeds of mischief slowly being planted in the inchling's mind.

"I didn't like that you called me tiny." This simple, petulant reasoning was expecting of a child, but Shina had hoped this wouldn't have happened.

Its not like she NEEDED permission to explore. Shina dwarved the inchling immensely after all. But using brute force to get what she wanted wasn't like her, at all. Heck, that was more of an Alex tactic!

" _Wow, didn't think Alex rubbed off on me THAT much last night..."_ That same naivete of thought led Shina to believe she could defuse Sukuna's childishness by flipping the meaning of her words around, "B-But when I said you were tiny, I meant it as a compliment!"

"I-I don't believe you!" Sukuna puffed her cheeks and was straining to make herself believe her own words.

"Awww phooey!" Shina puffed her own cheeks and resorted to bargaining instead, "Is there anyway I can get ya to change yer mind?"

Sukuna opened one eye and murmured, "Weeeell...If you were to beat me in a Spell Card duel..."

"Done!" Shina proclaimed before the inchling had said 'duel'. She excitedly rattled her fists before her chest and bewildered Sukuna.

"W-What? So easily?!" Sukuna easily pieced together what was going on and thrust her right pointer finger at the girl's face, "Oh, you're that person the vampire talked about! The one following the Elemental Overlord!"

"Yep, that's me!" Shina admitted with a little giggle of embarrassment at how 'infamous' she was becoming.

Sukuna hopped atop the edge of the bowl and wobbled around trying to keep her balance, then took out her needle sword and declared, "T-Then I definitely have to beat you!"

"Oh?" Shina laid and bent a finger against the side of her tilted face and murmured, "How come?"

"Because if I wanna be seen as the strongest in all of Gensokyo, then I gotta conquer the unconquerable!" Sukuna proudly boasted with her head held high, as though she was issuing a challenge to the gods.

Shina didn't feel like backing down from this challenge, even if the scale of the inchling's perception was a bit much. She firmly nodded her head and exclaimed, "Ok! I accept your challenge Sukuna!"

Sukuna fell back into her bowl, caught herself on its edge, and then lifted her left hand aloft beside her face with a pixel sixed Spell Card hovering above it, "Even an inchling can be strong!"

Shina shoved herself ten feet back and slapped down the Gunslinger Drive to prepare for the duel. She smiled as she gave her pistols a few twirls, then gripped them firmly in her hands and aimed them at Sukuna. The inchling couldn't back down on her courage even with two barrels as big as her body staring her down.

"Lets go, Shina Aurora! I'll defeat you with my first Spell Card!" Sukuna squeezed the atom sized card in one go and declared its name, "Tiny, Tiny March 'An Inchling's Resolve'!"

Sukuna propelled herself off the bowl's edge and fell into its center. Right as she did so the bowl began to release a fantastic fountain of misty white Danmaku. The Danmaku spread out into the sky like a gigantic umbrella and scattered around like glittering snow.

Shina took aim at the bowl and fired a dozen shots at it while slowly moving clockwise around it. The bowl deflected all the attacks, and Shina had her doubts that hitting that did any damage to Sukuna. The fountain was so thick at the bottom that getting close was tandamount to suicide...had this been a fight to a death, of course!

As she got the idea of trying anyways, Sukuna added to her Spell Card's onslaught. Two oval shaped barrages of foggy blue knives launched out in a cross-shaped formation, and a second didn't even pass before more knives emerged at a slightly different angle.

Shina's eyes widened and she pushed herself back to give herself more of a gap between the knives, but a few of the pellets fell upon her skin as she worried about those. She let out a light 'Ack!' as the tingly, realistic sensation of pain from the Danmaku got her to realize that she'd forgotten a bit about how to play overnight.

" _Concentrate Shina! You've gotta get yer groove back!"_ She patiently hovered clockwise around the central point that was Sukuna's bowl and tried to come up with a plan of attack. There was no gun, at least she could recall, that fired bullets capable of curving mid-flight.

Sure, she _could_ just use her powers to curve the bullets, but that wouldn't be in the spirit of sportsmanship. And that's all this was, a friendly sports match. She felt pretty darn confident that even if she were to lose, Sukuna would let her explore the castle. A child's mind was simple and easily pleased like that.

...Not that she was going to just throw the match either. Shina had to chalk it up to Alex rubbing off on her some more, because she had developed a bit of a competitive spirit over time. So if Sukuna wanted to make this challenging for her, then Shina would just meet that challenge head-on with all she's got!

Shina kept moving around and slowly inched closer to the bowl while alternating between look up and forward at the different Danmaku. Through the snowy Danmaku Shina noticed that Sukuna was holding a tiny yellow mallet and swirling it around while proclaiming, "Magic Mallet! Make my Danmaku grow!"

" _Oh? But which Danmaku is she making bigger?"_ The snow pellets and knives seemed fine, at first. But then a couple knives hit her in the back and made her spin her head back to see that the knives from earlier had bounced back, each one now double their size.

"Yikes!" Shina twisted her body sideways and shuffled between all the knives coming in both directions as best she could. A couple of them scraped the front of her stomach and behind her rear, making Shina briefly worry that she had gained a couple pounds overnight too. But no, she had simply gotten caught off-guard.

Once she realized that she inched closer _towards_ Sukuna's bowl while sweating and licking the side of her lips with a swipe of the tip of her tongue. She had gotten an idea of how to proceed now that she'd seen all of Sukuna's tricks, but she had to act fast and not make a single mistake.

Sukuna's entire Spell Card relied on the Danmaku fountain's continued presence to compensate for the bowl's lack of a lid. So all Shina had to do was get rid of the fountain, even for a second, and Sukuna'd be exposed. But Shina could only get so close before there was too little space between the knives for to squeeze by. As interesting as it might've been to be as thin as a plank, Shina knew that wasn't physically possible.

She transformed one gun into a grenade launcher and fired it while turning the other into an SMG. The grenade blew up right above the bowl and dispelled the Danmaku temporarily. Shina then saw her chance, and snatched it firmly in her grasp!

First she vaulted forward over the bowl and spun herself upside-down. Then she transformed the other gun into an SMG and unloaded an entire clip's worth of bullets from each one upon Sukuna. The inchling ducked and held tightly onto her hat for protection, but all the bullets had to do was ricochet inside the bowl until they hit their mark.

Finally, Shina twirled around until she was back upright and landed on the other side of the bow. It was with great regret on her part that she took a couple knives to the knees afterwards, especially as Sukuna's Spell Card hadn't broke.

Sukuna's demure size meant she wouldn't have much in the way of defenses, so repeating that plan of attack would've done the trick. But Shina knew another Spell Card awaited, and so she kept that valuable bomb tucked away for later. That meant trying something else, and Shina had just the thing in mind.

She kept on the run from the knives for a bit and made the occasional glance up. She wanted a breech in the 'canopy', even the tiniest one would do, and then victory against this card would be hers. The hectic flurry of knives did a great job keeping the pressure going strong, but unfortunately, Shina's will was even stronger.

She rose up to the gap and fused her SMGs into a sniper rifle. There was no time to take aim, so Shina would just have to hope her instincts would pull through. Recklessly pulling a rifle without bracing first recoiled her into some of the bullets. But it was ok. Her one shot did the trick, and Sukuna's first Spell Card broke.

The shot got Sukuna's bowl tumbling around in place with her nailed to its side like a lone sock in a washing machine. By the time Shina lowered herself evenly with the inchling, she had stabilized the bowl and pulled herself out of it. Though she was ready to throw up, Sukuna spoke up coherently, "W-Wow! You're strong!"

"Yer pretty tough yourself!" Shina exclaimed with genuine praise.

Sukuna dragged herself up onto the edge of the bowl, needle sword in one hand, Magic Mallet in the other. The two objects shone silver and gold, but it was only the mallet that held the great honor of being wielded overhead.

"But its not enough!" She looked up at the Magic Mallet and pleaded with an intense vigor, "Magic Mallet! I want to be bigger!"

With its shining bright golden light the mallet filled the inchling with its astonishing power, and grow bigger Sukuna did. She got to be as tall as a human her age and not an inch more. But the way she held her chin up high made her look five times taller than that.

Shina felt a gasp of 'Wow' leave her mouth when she didn't notice, having become fully engrossed in Sukuna's stunning bravado.

Sukuna's bowl was stuck to her bare right heel but she kicked her foot back to send it up. She then closed her eyes, bit down on the center of her needle, and raised the mallet before her chest. When the bowl fell she snatched it by its edge and secured it atop her head, and that same arm left only one eye exposed.

But in that one eye Shina saw the fire of her spirit burn bright enough to swallow the sun. Determination upon determination. Determination to scare the gods, THAT is what drove this girl to surpass the limits of her race.

"I am Sukuna Shinmyoumaru! The descendant of the legendary Issun-Boushi! I can't falter as an inspiration for the small and weak, so I will not back down! I will not be afraid! I will not lose to you, Shina Aurora!" Sukuna summoned a sparkling Spell Card before her face and grabbed the handle of her sword. She masterfully pulled it out without drawing blood and sliced the card in twine with a streak of silver. She then pointed it at the awe-struck Shina and declared, "Last Word! Valiance of the Inchlings 'Heroic Unyielding Heart'!"

Sukuna didn't hold anything back and unleashed all of her Danmaku from the very start. A fan of thin pink beams fired off her back towards the ceiling and started rebounding every which way they could within a predetermined confined space. All the while, hundreds upon hundreds of daggers split into the seven colors of the rainbow fired out from her body. They were separated into several segmented, curved walls that created a sphere of protection for the little princess.

Shina snapped out of her brief trance and kept her eye on the daggers while zipping away from the incoming lasers. The daggers pushed outward but slowly grew bigger over time, squeezing in the gaps that Shina could've theoretically slipped through to attack. There were some gaps between the corners of expanding, encroaching walls, but Sukuna's sheer refusal to show weakness manifested in those gaps in the form of large spherical Danmaku.

Shina backed away and swerved around the boundary of the dagger cage looking desperately for a way through. The whole hall would soon become impossible to navigate, and looking at those daggers left Shina feel them touching already, and they **stung**.

She was willing to try anything save throwing a bomb just to get past Sukuna's assault. But it wasn't just the daggers that were a nuisance, but the continuous laser fire as well. She kicked up her speed and her aura trailed behind her in a visible streak, but she could be the fastest in the universe and would still be trapped against this wall.

" _Come on come on! There's gotta be a way through!"_ Her mind was more scrambled than eggs in the morning, so she snagged the first idea that came to mind, and that was to just try and shoot her way through.

She clutched her pistols close by her chest and pointed them down, flying over the daggers that were now just a few feet away. This duel was kicking up a lot of sweat, making it even tougher to concentrate, so when Shina caused one of the spheres to push away with her bullets it took a couple seconds for that information to go 'click!' in her mind.

She turned around and flew straight back, the daggers now inches from her feet. The sphere she hit turned from blue to red and started to fly straight at her, but to heck with it! Taking a hit from that would be way, WAY better than even one of those daggers touching.

She charged right through that sphere and took the pain doing so it entailed with a tight grit smile. But what awaited her beyond was enough wall of daggers just a couple feet apart from the last. But through gritting and bearing it like always Shina had figured out the key to persisting through.

She grabbed her weapons and held them by her hips while remaining upright, then took to navigating around the walls until she could find where one of the spheres was. She opened her eyes wide and invited the dry air to try and make them shut if it dared. Any laser that flew her way would just be wasting their time and hers, cause she'd prove capable of evading them all with the speed of a fighter jet.

Her bullets pushed the spheres back and activated them to home in, but she kept her guns blazin' red hot and trudged through the open gap and then zipped away from them before they even stood a chance of trying. She'd still have to breech through many layers of Danmaku before the opportunity to attack Sukuna presented itself.

Shina knew not to go easy on the inchling just because things seemed to be going her way now. There could always be another trick to this Last Word, something so small she wouldn't even be able to tell it was there with the world's strongest microscope.

But after breeching ten walls of Danmaku Shina saw through to the center and found the truth staring back at her. Sukuna kept her General-like stance towards the army of Danmaku she commanded, but she was biting her teeth down into a slightly worried grimace. She tried to hide it once Shina came into view, but by then it was too late.

Shina ingrained that image of the inchling's worries in her mind and was a little saddened to understand what it meant. Sukuna had tried to combine an impenetrable defense with an unstoppable offense, turning the Last Word into a reflection of her own determination.

But to Shina, she took it more as a lesson on how creating a Spell Card requires a fine degree of craftsmanship. If Danmaku was like dancing, then making Spell Cards was like painting. While its true that you could make something overwhelmingly beautiful in the spur of the moment, like Sukuna did with her Last Word, true artistic perfection came from the combination of a strong heart, and an even stronger will to persist.

Sukuna didn't have that 'stronger will', not yet anyways. But Shina was proud to admit to herself that the inchling was so, so close to finding that strength of will, and even in defeat this battle will have proven to bring her one step closer to that point.

And so after mulling over this matter more than necessary, Shina decided to respect the strength the inchling _did_ have now by wrapping this duel up nice and quick. She created two long-barreled laser rifles and had them locked-and-loaded beside her, and for a second pretended she was a mafioso wielding tommyguns like in those old films she used to-

" _Wait, focus! Focus!"_ She shook her head and took aim at the inchling. During that moment of self-indulgence she took a few lasers to the face, but kept her aim steady and true and started firing through the thin lined gaps between the daggers.

Sukuna silently took every attack, but wasn't going to let up on her stance until the battle was said and done. Her eyes retained that fire until the very end, when the last bullet hit, and all hers vanished into a flowery arrangement of dust. Shina lowered her guns and took a well-earned breath of relief.

" _It may've been a short duel, but she sure as heck didn't make it easy!"_ She wanted to say that aloud, thinking her praise might've lifted the inchling's spirits, but she couldn't think of any way to word it without including some synonym of 'short'.

But as the dust settled down Sukuna was nowhere to be found, and Shina briefly froze up and thought she had gotten the inchling killed. She hurried over to where she was and looked around, then cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered her name a couple times.

"Sukuna! Sukuna! Are you ok?! If are you, respond with 'Yes'!"

"Yes, I'm ok! I'm...ok." Sukuna sheepishly spoke out with a much tinier voice than before, but one loud enough for Shina to recognize where she was. She pulled back so her just wouldn't be in the way of her looking down, and saw the tiny Sukuna laying down with her limbs sprawled out at the bottom of her bowl.

She puffed out a tiny sigh and sucked in her lips, then rolled onto her side and laid her hands beneath her head. Only the shine from her needle could reveal those tiny tears she shed as she wallowed in self-pity, "...I'm still not strong enough."

Shina reeled her head back in and bit her teeth with a regretful hiss. First she broke into this inchling's house, then made incidental comments about her height, treated her like a toy, and finally shattered her self-esteem into tiny little pieces.

" _Maaaaybe I oughta fix this..."_ She came to the conclusion of, then cupped the bottom of the bowl in both her hands and lifted it close to her face.

"Hey now, don't feel down...You did really well, I swear!"

"...You're just saying that..." Sukuna rolled over more to cover her face, and looking at that pitiful sight just made Shina pout and feel depressed herself.

"Uh uh!" Shina shook her head and, having known what its like to have a low opinion of oneself, knew exactly what to say, "You fought with all **your** strength. That ain't nuthin' to be ashamed about!"

Sukuna's head turned a little bit as Shina kept going on strongly, "Why, if Issun-Boushi were alive today, he'd've been so proud of ya! Cause ya found yer own strength to fight with!"

Sukuna was motionless for a few seconds, then turned her head the rest of the way back. Her reddened face was drenched in her own tears, and she let out a tiny sniffle before wiping her face clean with her sleeve. Then Shina was proud to watch as that inchling stood up and looked up at her to say, "I...did?"

"Heck yeah ya did!" Shina firmly nodded her head.

"...I did," Sukuna's face lit up with that bright smile Shina loved the most as she leapt up and down and squealed, "I did! I did! I **am** strong!"

Shina giggled along as that inchling behaved so bubbly sweet, and found her belief that she could handle a child just fine reaffirmed in this moment. Then all of a sudden Sukuna bounced out of her bowl like a grasshopper and perched herself atop Shina's head, making the girl blush.

Sukuna laid out on all fours and pointed down the hall, "Alright Shina! Lets go look for your Cosmos Drive together!"

"Hehe...Ya do know it'd be better if we split up, ya?" Shina said while scratching the side of her face.

Sukuna blushed and then hopped down, using Shina's chest as a cushion to get her back to the bowl safe and sound. She then spun around, leaned on the edge of the bowl, and with her face bright pink she bonked the top of her head and giggled, "Oopsie!"

Shina stared vacantly towards the inchling and, as impossible as it sounded, became even more enamored by her cuteness. Her eyes sparkled bright, she clenched her fists up next to her cheeks, and she inquired with a giddy squeal, "Can ya be my little sister?!"

"N-No!" Sukuna sheepishly retracted into the bowl and sadly, Shina knew she'd have to give up. But it was alright, cause she made another new friend anyways! And with this inchling's help, Shina would scour the Shining Needle Castle from top to bottom in search for the Cosmos Drive...

 _Next Time: Drumbeat of the Heart_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Love, Love Rhythm**

Alex left the Human Village roughly the same time as Shina, but unlike her his spirits didn't feel as high as the clouds. He wasn't too surprised by that. Even the brightest rays of sunshine couldn't penetrate the thickest clouds in his heart, after all.

But Alex wasn't moping around, cursing his life like he used to. Now that he had the chance to think by his lonesome, the weight of what he did last night set upon his shoulders like an entire planet. He felt guilty that he was unable to recall most of his actions after the two kissed. The vague memories of moaning and grunting painted a vivid enough picture of ecstasy the two took part in. Alex could only think, however, of his own participation in the act, or rather the lack thereof.

Shina had done most of the work, an expert in comparison to his sloppy, novice self. His parents had perished too early to teach him how to handle a situation like that, so by all means he shouldn't feel guilty about his inexperience, right? But he did, and he could only murmur tiredly to himself, "Why?"

Was it because he was coerced into performing the act? Did Shina's pure, lustful gaze leave him incapable of saying no? Absolutely. Not. Alex knew who Shina was, and her only fault there was perhaps advancing their relationship too soon and too quickly.

But its not as though the love wasn't there. Alex DOES love her. Shina DOES love him. What they did with that love was going to happen eventually, and Alex believed that some part of Shina was aware of that. The deeper Alex thought about this, the more frustrated he grew.

And he knew that every second longer he spent on this was a spit on the face on Shina's efforts. She was basically an amateur too, but she still tried so, SO hard to make it work. The echoes of her quivering lips and delicate moans could attest to that, as much as it embarrassed Alex to admit it.

Alex then froze in place, his brain feeling as though it had been forced through a cheese grater. He grumbled from the side of his mouth and shook his head.

He knew the truth. He didn't want to ADMIT it, even when by himself, but he knew it...and dreadred it more than death.

"I...could be a father."

His hands could be felt trembling as he lifted and stared at them with pale white eyes. He imagined a baby no bigger than his head cradled in his arms. Basic paternal instincts kicked in, urging him to give it a hug, but instead he started to cry.

The child was a figment of imagination, a creation of stress. But its warmth and the tears he felt trickling down his cheeks were real as could be, and frightening too. If he gave this child a hug, would it cry? ...Would it live?

He didn't have any faith in his ability to hold a child, let alone show how much he truly did love it. But he didn't deserve to have one...He didn't know the first thing about taking care of one and beyond that, what would that child even be like? Would they take after their mother, and be as pure as the winter snow? Or would they take after him, and develop the split personality disorder that ruined his life?

Shina didn't deserve to have a child like that, even if she'd love them with all her heart. That's why Alex knew he'd never be rid of this guilt, because he helped Shina created it.

"Son of a bitch..." Was the only thing Alex could growl about all this.

He grabbed onto the side of his throbbing head and tried to take deep breaths. The air was stagnant but clean, fresh with the smell of morning dew and the forest leaves. It was the perfect relaxant for the mind, albeit a temporary one in Alex's case.

He was very, very glad when he was reminded of what he's supposed to be doing, which forced those negative thoughts out of his mind. After one five-second long breath he tucked his hands into both pants' pockets and reached for the Gaia Temporis, raising and tossing it a couple times next to his face.

" _Ok, lets see what I can find..."_ He clasped the stone down tight, and his muscles felt taut. So he let out a sigh, and then headed higher into the sky.

It didn't take long for him to sense a magical force trying to repel him, more than likely the Hakurei Barrier's power at work. But he needed to get as close as possible to the edge of Gensokyo if he wanted any chance of finding the Dream World.

From what Alex could recall, the realm existed separate from Gensokyo, but could be accessed from it. It was an Incident that Reimu, Marisa, Sanae and Reisen were involved in that took them to the Dream world, and from Marisa's account of things that place isn't that easy to reach.

But Alex didn't consider that a challenge in the slightest. The Gaia Temporis had allowed him to reach normally impossible places in the past. All he had to do was find the entrance, and the stone would handle the rest.

He held one hand up near his forehead to fend off the irritating sunlight and then used the other to keep the Gaia Temporis propped up by his face. Only someone like Alex could so casually treat this artifact of unimaginable power like a store bought magnet.

He waved the stone around a bit, maybe floating a few inches in some direction if he felt like it. The stone was either broken, or not getting a signal at all. So he shook it some, thinking maybe it needed a little wake-up call. The stone could be as stubborn as a mule and more disagreeable than a full-grown cat.

Alex wasn't sure what kind of grudge the sentient lifeform in the Gaia Temporis had against him, but they rarely saw eye-to-eye beyond letting him stop time. It was starting to get borderline irritating, and childish.

"You're just opening a hole, I could do that easily with a **shovel**...!" He sighed as he turned the stone around and glared into its clock-like engravings. He suspected the thing inside was looking back at him with a cheeky smile, so he gave the stone another hard shake to put it in line, then rested it by his hip.

He hung his head back until his neck was sore and thought about this another way, "Or maybe the entrance has been moved..."

He huffed, and puffed, and he quietly blew his anger out, "God...damnit! That's ex-actly what's going on here!"

Anything simple in life would always get complicated. That's the lesson that has been pounded into his head one stubborn, rusted nail at a time. "No wonder I get all these headaches..." He thought as he put the stone away for now.

He realized his only recourse NOW was to find someone who knows about the Dream World and ask them how to enter it. Regrettably, his rational mind went straight for Eirin.

"Nope, nope. Not again." He shook his head, and thrust his arms out. Denial was a hard pill for him to swallow, but there was no dosage high enough to fend off reality.

"Fine, fine...I'll go ask her." He slowly started his descent towards the Bamboo Forest. But as he made his way there a few dark clouds started to form in the atmosphere, and the temperature took a sharp plunge into the twenties.

He lifted one arm up and saw his hairs sticking on end. A thunder storm was coming, and a strong one at that. Alex found nothing ominous about that, for nature was just doing its thing. But what WAS strange were the sounds that accompanied it.

"Badump!" "Badump!" "Badump!"

It was a solid beat, each sound coming two seconds apart from each other. A tribute to the coming storm perhaps? All Alex knew was that it was close, and behind him. He peeked over his shoulder and saw someone floating there quietly atop a red drum decorated with a flowery white pattern.

The girl looked like she came straight out of band practice, for she wore a white sport coated with long sleevs over a black shirt with red cross-hatching, and a purple tie on top of that. She had a curious pair of black-purple shoes with red lacing and a large drum mallet on each heel. Her short, wavy red hair matched the color of her eyes, which remained partway shut the whole time she sat there.

"Fancy running into you here." She spoke up with a voice as smooth as jazz. When combined with her loose, laid-back posture, her demeanor could only be described as "one cool cat". Alex also got a bit of a "Big sister" vibe from the drummer, which is precisely how she saw herself towards her fellow tsukumogami.

Her words about this being a coincidential meeting rung hollow in Alex's ears. After gesturing a hand up next to his face he remarked, "I'm sure lots of people like to fly around in storms."

"You got me," She replied with paper thin resistance as she crossed her delicate legs together, "Truth is, I've been tailing you since you left the village."

"Really?" Alex slowly, grimly raised his brows.

"I'm not a stalker, if that's what you're insinuating," She took such subdued accusations in strider as she leaned to the side and commented, "But you could called me a fan, Mr. Overlord."

Alex decided it be to be quiet and hear her out for now. And no, it was NOT because he found the compliment flattering!

"We actually 'met' last night. At the festival? Kokoro's performance?"

Alex knew she'd've stuck out like a sore thumb even in that thick a crowd. He was just too embarrassed to admit to a strange complete stranger as to why he was distracted. The girl shrugged and seemed no worse off not being recognized.

She leaned her right hand out and introduced herself, "Raiko Horikawa. Pleasure to meet you."

 **Raiko Horikawa ~ Rhythmic Beat of Freedom**

Alex crossed his arms against his chest and felt a little shy, so he just waved his fingers out a bit and remarked plainly, "Alex Whiter. Same here."

Raiko blinked a few times and then retracted her hand to the top of her drum, then paddled her legs a bit and smiled, "That's fine. That's the way you live your life."

"Huh?" Alex said with his mouth hung to the right a bit.

Raiko summoned a drumstick into her right hand and flicked it out at him like a magic wand, then winked one eye shut and smirked, "Can I ask you to spare a moment of your time? There's something I want to see clearly with my own two eyes."

There was an intriguing air to this drum come to life that Alex found himself entranced by. But not enough to just answer her request all willy-nilly, certainly. After crossing his arms up tight he closed his eyes to reject her distracting charm as he asked, "And that is...?"

"My power is to make anything follow a rhythm. Though to do that, I would naturally need an understanding of other's rhythms, yes?"

"Of course," Alex brushed a hand up beside his face and remarked, "Its like how a fire-wielder needs heat protection."

"Bingo!" She turned her body to the side and put more 'Oomph!' into swinging her drumstick out, then resumed sitting back against her drum and explaining in detail, "A body houses three different rhythms. One for the body, one for the mind, and one for the soul."

Alex grumbled while scratching the side of his face with a full hand's worth of fingers, "This isn't going to lead to some psychoanalytical mumbo-jumbo is it?"

"I can tell you've run into your fair share of those already," Raiko said with a mildly humored chuckle, "But no, that's not it. You just have a very... _curious_ rhythm."

"Do I now?" That term was broad enough in this case that Alex was actually legitimately interested to see where the drummer was heading.

"When you were with that girl, your overall rhythm was harmonious. I would daresay you could make a heavenly concerto with that rhythm," The expression on her face got just that tiniest bit dour as she murmured, "But there was some disharmony deep inside. It was difficult for me to peg what was wrong because of the crowd at the time, but..."

"But now you've got me and my 'rhythm' all to yourself..." Alex nodded his head a couple times and stretched his arms out with a long sigh, "Well, here you go then. Examine as much as you like."

Raiko pinched the drumstick between two fingers and laid it down flat on her drum. She kicked her feet up to budge a little closer and then used the bridging of her fingers to support her chin, "I'd love to, but your whole temperment changed overnight. Now its neither harmonious or disharmonious, just this terrible mess of static that no radio DJ worth their salt would air."

" _Hmph, understandable..."_ Alex left the matter at that as he asked, "Then I guess you're out of luck. I doubt a dunk in the sauna's going to fix this."

"Hmmm, I like the way you think, but there IS another solution," Raiko swung her right hand up and created a Spell Card, catching Alex's attention right away. Having ensnared him with her intrigues, the drummer laid her motives out clear as day, "Face me in a Spell Card duel, and we'll see if that'll be enough to unravel the strings in your heart."

"Therapeutic fighting eh?" Alex grinned and swung his right hand up as he finally opened his eyes to stare down the eager Raiko, "I like the way **you** think!"

Raiko closed her eyes and found herself getting absorbed within her surroundings enough to swing her arms out as though wanting to embrace it all, "The skies are alight with the sounds of rising thunder. The clouds want to dance to the beat of their own drum, but are scared to do so."

She picked up her drumstick in the beat of the eye and threw another wink Alex's way, and suddenly her voice got a lot more boisterous and excited, "What say you, Alex Whiter?! How about we welcome the thunder's call with the echoing, primordial beat of battle?!"

For an instrument, Alex couldn't deny that the pressure she exuded was incredible. It took his breath away like a hurricane, and left nothing but the quiet gasps of excitement in its place. He grinned from cheek-to-cheek and already felt the tension leaving his body, and interjected his own fiery passion into Raiko's call to battle.

"Sure, why don't we play a song that even Raijin will listen to?!" Alex swung his body out to get into a battle ready stance while simultaneously throwing his own wind pressure to battle against Raiko's.

Her face remained relaxed as the colliding forces pushed her hair back, her smile tensing up with glee. She then thrust her Spell Card out before her chest and whipped her hands up to summon a drumstick in each one. She didn't waste a second pounding the Spell Card with a thunderous reverb and declaring its name as though announcing the opening song for a DJ rave party, "Lets get this party started with my first card! Metronome over Gensokyo!"

She pulled and twirled her drumsticks around once before tucking them in her pants. She then started off her Spell Card by taking the drum mallet on her right heel and gently pounding the drum she sat on.

A small glowy bongo drum spun into existence next to her body. Once fully materialized, it locked onto Alex's location and thrust right at him. He grimaced and flew to the right, appreciating that the bongo kept to a straight line instead of curving like most other bullets of its type had tended to.

The bongos banged themselves at a steady but hard enough rhythm to release physical soundwaves in the air, whose effects lingered even as the bongos vanished. Alex kept an eye on them but then twisted his head back towards Raiko. She kicked the drum with her other heel and summoned a second bongo to take its place.

Alex decided to bend his head back and perform a stationary loop-de-loop to get around the bongo, but stopped before ramming into the soundwaves it left behind. He then turned to Raiko, who beat to the rhythm of her drum quite literally, and summoned another bongo.

Now came the time to retaliate, which Alex started off by thrusting his hands out a few times rapidly to pepper her fireballs. She took the attacks without flinching and smirked through the smoke, which disappeared as the third bongo thrust by overhead.

Alex jerked himself to the left and tucked his stomach in with one dodgy breath, letting him evade the bongo in the nick of time but leaving him feel woozy for a moment. He staggered back and was nicked in the back by some of the first shockwaves, which sharply brought his senses back to normal.

Before the fourth bongo could trap him in, he wisely decided to dive down and attack from a safe angle. After peppering Raiko with a few more fireballs he evaded another bongo and kept his eye on the drummer's movements. She was keeping pace with her rhythm without wasting a millisecond between each beat of the drummer.

But Alex had seen enough Spell Cards to know that there was _always_ another trick waiting in the wing. And those soundwaves were definitely involved somehow. For now though, they were just a nuisance, kind of like when he used to run into spider webs while climbing the mountains back home. In his opinion, those were the worst.

The pattern kept up a couple more times, with Alex bobbinh and weaving through the bongos without suffering a hit. His muscles were loosening up little by little, and what he was thinking about before was so far in the back of his mind that you'd need a microscope to identify it.

He found it funny, really, how just a day ago he dreaded the idea of Spell Card duels. But now he was enjoying this simple little match with Raiko. Maybe it was the friendly atmosphere between the two that did it for him. Everyone else had their ulterior motives to use or play with him like he was a type of ragdoll.

She just wants to pique her curiosity, and her methods and reasoning was harmless. And it was interesting for him to see her Spell Card in action. There was no doubt in his mind that she could make something more complex to keep him on his toes, but that's not how she lived her life.

She was of simple mind and simple soul, and all she wanted was a simple life. What could drive a tool to desire freedom for themselves? There may never be an answer to that question. But Raiko's conviction to her personal freedom was as undying as the storm they fought inside, whose quiet thunderclaps she commanded to sound off with every drumbeat she made.

Soon Alex woke up from his trance and realized that there were twelve interwoven strings of soundwaves in the sky between him and Raiko, and no more bongos were flying his way. The drummer closed her eyes and with a resounding clap of the hands proclaimed, "This first reverb shall be in tribute of the sky, which blankets the world in its pristine beauty everyday!"

She pounded the drum with a firm downward swing of both her mallets. The soundwaves quickly transform into a sea of yellow Danmaku that, for the first time, looked like actual bullets! Alex floated around, trying to weave through these dangerous 'waters' and get closer to Raiko.

But the amount of bullets numbered the hundreds and kept closely knit together, forming a net that Alex got entangled in pretty quick. He took continuous damage for a couple seconds but chose to grin and bear it just because he had a clean shot view of Raiko's body.

She dangled her feet in front of her drum and paddled them playfully in the breeze while Alex trudged through all those bullets. Alex stretched one hand between some of them and launched out a body-sized fireball, then reeled it back in and pushed on through some more.

He only had to endure the bullets for a couple more seconds, luckily, and their disappearance was followed up with the quiet chirps of christmas bells. Raiko smiled from that melody, and then continued from the top. The bongos returned in full swing, but of course Alex had a much easier time managing against those.

The battle's brisk pace kept him relaxed, as did the soothing rhythm of Raiko's drum. He didn't feel ashamed to admit that he was purposefully delaying the duel just so he could relish in the atmosphere. But a prick in the back of his mind made him realize this was pretty selfish on his part.

He kept dodging the bongos some more, but his body started feeling heavier with guilt. Raiko twitched and snapped her right fingers out, leaving two out in an "L" as she casually commented, "Don't feel bad about this. Gensokyo's meant to be a place where you have fun and be free."

Alex kept his eyes on the drummer as she loosely sprawled her arms out and took a bow in dedication to the winds of freedom that whirled around her, "The shackles of obligation are yours to command, and to break. If your soul's crying for freedom..."

She swung her head up energetically and screamed, "Then answer its call!"

Alex thought about the message she was trying to reach him with and clutched his fists tight, cracking a smile before setting them on fire. After swinging past another of her bongos he started flying her way while exclaiming, "Heh, you're not bad for a set of taiko drums!"

He pounded the air and unleashed the full force of his resolve in the form of two screeching Phoenix head blasts of fire. Raiko was swallowed amongs the flames and started to sweat a little, but did not lose sight of the rhythm of her Spell Card. A bongo flew forward and crashed into Alex's body, but he recovered fast and did a side somersault to evade the emerging soundwaves.

Following that, he swung his right hand back and turned the static surrounding him into pure electricity. He thrust and spread his right hand out, sending an intricately weaved web of electricity into Raiko's body. Once more, Alex had to throw some silent praise her way for surviving this long against his attacks.

She kept the pace of her attacks going until there were a dozen strings of soundwaves prepared once more. She pounded the drum with both her mallets and filled the sky with bullets, with Alex in the center of them all. But there was no need to struggle against their onslaught this time. There was an opening in the top that he could safely attack her from.

He rose up there and clutched a bundle of flames in his right hand tightly, then grit his teeth and sent them out with all his might in the forth of a bright, sweeping wave. Raiko sat there and took the attack head on, this time leading to her Spell Card breaking.

Alex dropped down front and center with her drum and cautiously waited for her next card to come out, smiling the entire time. Raiko closed her eyes and began to reach for the corner of her shirt, pulling it right off with a single tug. At the same time, a ring of hexagonal drum plates attached together by a thin magic string surrounded her body.

The shirt fluttered down and landed atop her shoulders, staying there in a pure defiance of the laws of physics even as she thrust and crossed her arms together, a drumstick in each hand. The sweat dripping from her face flew aside, and her expression was just a little more wild than it was prior.

She hovered her drumsticks over the new drums and caught her breath. She was really getting into the duel now, and the intensity in her voice rivaled the screams of a heavy metal lead singer, "Can you show me the sound of your soul? Hold nothing back, I want to hear it **scream**!"

The pressure she exuded before was nothing compared to what she showed now. The storm clouds fell to her beck and call and became dark grey, summoning lightning bolts that purposefully evaded her. Alex's eyes widened and he fell silent, and Raiko humbly boasted to further the awe he felt, "Even lightning counts as a rhythm! Now...lets put on a spectacular show!"

Her Last Word appeared a second later, which broke from the ripple of lightning crashing down behind her. She declared its name loud and proud "Last Word! Heart's Beat and Thunder's Clap!" and instantly readied her Danmaku for battle.

Eight bongos were summoned in eight separate "corners" surrounding the two, and the lightning crashed into each one and spread out to form a cage. After all, what is a concert without a stage? The tenser atmosphere and tighter arena was to Alex's liking, just so long as Raiko and him retained that casual attitude between them.

But in an odd turn of events, Raiko not only pounded away at her drums, but sang in a coarse, broken English.

" _Let's play our revenge beats!"_

"I'm sorry what?" Alex dryly murmured in the one moment of freedom he had before the Danmaku made their appearance known. Each bongo danced to the rhythm of Raiko's strange song and released strings of red notes that also danced.

The notes crossed together in a pretty simple interweaving pattern starting off, but the deeper into the song Raiko got the more notes ended up being added. Blue and then yellow notes danced down their own paths, making even moving a struggle.

Alex couldn't go more than a few inches without worrying about running into Raiko's Danmaku. He looked to her in hopes of finding a pattern, but as the lead singer she was too focused on her unintelligible song to give any indication of such.

It came down to Alex to figure things out on his own based on the surroundings if he wanted to prevail. If nothing else, the notes were a unique touch compared to the hundreds of knives he'd seen with every other Spell Card in Gensokyo.

Alex shuffled his hands around in the air while sending fireballs at Raiko, and had no choice but to stay still until the notes allowed him passage. Ironically, for someone who valued freedom so much, Raiko's Last Word sure did rely a lot on making him dance to the beat of **her** drum.

Suddenly, Raiko changed up her tune just a bit by banging two drums at once, and the lightning from the clouds was coerced to become a twirling pinwheel around her body. She flung it straight towards Alex, whom after biting his lower lip flung himself through the hole in the center.

The static it released frazzled the hairs on his skin, and as he stood up and patted them down he took many notes to his body. He peered at Raiko from the corner of his eyes and saw her flash a quick smirk, so he gave her one back. Then he raised his left hand up and launched a lightning bolt back with enough force to make his arm recoil.

A glint of light shone from Raiko's eye, and without missing a beat she swung her drumstick down upon her drum and struck back against the lightning simultaneously to deflect it. She smiled at the effort, but there was no need to act superior towards him over an honest error. At least, that's how Alex chose to interrupt her attitude.

So if electricity was a no-go, he'd just have to go with plain ol' fire. Not that that was any issue. Fire was the perfect element to represent the 'screams of his soul' that Raiko desired to hear. He floated around the notes and was not afraid to do silly things like tuck his legs in to dodge them as he slowly peppered away at the drummer with fireballs.

The duel, as enjoyable as it was, would have to reach its climax eventually. It was a song and dance that had lasted only a short time, yet felt so much longer for Alex. And as strange as the lyrics to Raiko's song were, Alex could feel himself resonating with it on a deeper level than the drummer had likely intended.

What he was really curious to know about, however, was if Raiko would find satisfaction through this duel. He wasn't the best judge of his own emotions, but right now the turmoil in his heart had pretty much settled down to be as threatening as a kitten. If that wasn't enough to satiate Raiko's curiosity, then he sure as hell didn't know where to go from there.

Alex couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle at how silly it was. She was the one playing music, yet he was the one being reviewed. Coercered by his eagerness to learn how he had been judged, Alex picked up the pace on throwing fireballs and kept on weaving between the notes.

Getting distracted with these thoughts meant it took him a moment to recognize that he'd taken a lot of hits from the notes. Heck, it was possible he might even lose this battle! Raiko was too cool a customer to let such things as 'fatigue' wear her down and reveal her weakness. Of course, that might have to do with her once being an instrument that's seen plenty of use.

Then, like the sudden clap of thunder echoing across the vibrant skies, the battle was over. Raiko banged down extra hard on her drums, and her Danmaku vanished all at once. She hung her head and panted with visible exhaustion, and her face was drenched in sweat.

Alex tilted his head, drooped his arms down by the hips, and had the most puzzled look on his face as he looked straight at the drummer. She lifted her head up, wiped the sweat from her brows with one of her sleeves, and eased into a laid-back demeanor once more.

"That was a lot of fun. I greatly appreciate you participating in the show, Alex Whiter."

"...So did I win or...?" Alex was honestly too bewildered to think of anything else to say but that.

"Huh? You timed out my Spell Card, so victory is yours," As she put her shirt back on and saw that he was still confused, she waved one of her drumsticks out and remarked, "Haven't you faced a timed Spell Card yet?"

He awkwardly crossed his arms against the chest and stuttered, "O-Oh right, those ARE a thing..."

He then shook his head and waved a hand out to ask, "So how was that performance? You satisfied, Raiko?"

Raiko leaned her head back and let the glistening sweat trickle off her smiling face. Her judgment required a little more patience on Alex's part as she hummed to herself in thought. She then poked her head up just a bit so Alex could look into her eyes as she waved one finger out and remarked, "I see now why your rhythm confused me the first time. Your mind, body and soul were in harmony...but those other souls are not, are they?"

Alex stiffened with a cold sweat coming from his forehead, and his eyes trembled. Not only was this drum strong, she was perceptive to boot. Maybe... _too_ perceptive. Still, she came all this way to figure out this one truth, so Alex felt obliged to at least tell her a little bit more.

"...I've got no idea honestly..." He laid a hand upon his chest and looked down at himself. This quiet, somber voice was very unlike him, which piqued Raiko's interest, "The souls inside of me were once living beings who sacrificed their lives for me...Maybe they're in disharmony because they regret that now?"

He bit his teeth down with scorn in his heart and clutched the part of his shirt around there in his fist, "I wish they'd speak up and tell me what's bugging them, but they've all been asleep for a couple years now..."

"Hmmm, I doubt that's it," Raiko pointed one of her drumsticks down at Alex's chest, "If even one tune is out of harmony with the others, then a song goes from a symphony to a cacophony."

"What?"

"Those souls you house are helping to carry the burden of your disharmony. If that's not a sign of loyalty, then what is?"

Alex couldn't deny she had a point, but it was difficult to stave off the guilt in his involvement. Raiko was so connected with his emotional rhythm, however, that she knew what to say right away, "Whenever you're scared, or angry...Then scream. There'll always be that _one_ special person who'll listen."

She then laid her drumsticks to rest by her hips and kicked her legs up to cross them. With a humble bow and a delightful smile she said, "Until we meet again, Alex Whiter, I hope you follow the rhythm of your own heart."

She prepared to depart for destinations unknown, but upon passing him by left him with a bit of an obvious warning, "Oh but...you might not want to stick around in here. Who knows how nasty Raijin may be today?"

After letting her put some distance away from him, Alex heeded her advice and descended out of the clouds. There was something a little odd about them sticking around like this when the rest of Gensokyo seemed so at peace, but that was the least of his concerns.

He folded his arms against his chest and mumbled Raiko's advice, "That one special person who'll listen..."

Now it felt right to let himself think about that whole "being a father" matter for a bit. Relaxing and closing his eyes, he knew what the right course of action was, "Maybe if I talk to Shina..."

"Talk to me about what?"

"GAH!" Shina's sudden interjection gave Alex a mini-heart attack, and as he held a hand against his throbbing chest he slowly turned around and saw her smiling face staring him down.

In the old days he'd give her crap for sneaking up like that, but right now he was more concerned about the fact that she was there, "I thought we agreed to meet at the Underground?"

She stood upright and giggled, "I was on my way over, but then I saw ya duelin' someone in the clouds and thought I'd check it out."

With her arms tucked back she leaned out and eagerly inquired, "Raiko right? That's who you fought? How was it?"

"...Fine really," He looked away and crossed his arms, since giving Shina free access to look at his face would cause her to start prying, "But I couldn't find an entrance to the Dream World. We'll have to try elsewhere."

"That's a bummer," Shina appeared in good spirits despite the bad news, "I didn't have any luck at the Shining Needle Castle either."

"The inchling didn't give you trouble?"

" _Sukuna_ was a delight!" Shina insisted on him using a first name basis, but no amount of guilty pouting from her would get him to yield on how he used nouns.

Shina then leaned out a little more and took a quick peek at Alex's face before asking, "Soooo, what'd ya wanna talk to me about?"

" _Goddang it!"_ Alex bit his lip and briefly spat empty air before trying to look away from her and saying with a straight face, "O-Oh I was just thinking a bit about ummm...where we're going to live after this is all over?"

"Oh gosh, I hadn't even thought of that!" Shina slapped the side of her face and let out an exaggerated gasp. Alex didn't feel right pacifying her curiosity with a half-lie, but maybe now wasn't the time to bring up something she's probably thought nothing about.

After she slapped him on the back of his neck she congratulated him with a firm thumbs-up, "Way to go for taking initiative Alex! We'll probably hafta live with my mom for a bit, but..."

"Well that sure won't be awkward..." Alex barely grumbled through his teeth.

"Awww it'll be fun! You'll get to take part in family game night, and then we can cuddle ourselves to sleep in my ol' bed!"

Alex squirmed a little at how nonchalantly Shina was taking this matter. Even from her, he had expected some degree of seriousness. He could have thrown that in her face by saying "We're WAY past the point of cuddling now!", but that'd just be rude.

"Shina, focus. We'll cross that bridge later, **after** we find Hecatia."

"Oh right! Yeah, we gotta find her now!" She snapped back to attention quickly, and Alex then breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're looking for me? Like, what a coincidence! So was I!" A quiet valley girl's accent was the last thing Alex was expecting to hear in Gensokyo, especially considering WHO he'd find out the voice came from.

There was a red-haired, red-eyed woman of average height and build just floating like she'd been there the entire time. Her appearance was fairly modern, with her clothes a short three-colored plaid skirt and a black t-shirt with _Welcome ❤ Hell_ written on the front, which was worn off her shoulders. Alex could properly describe it as clothes you'd find out of the local Hot Topic, but never to _this_ person's face. She wore a collar with chains attached, each one leading to a different orb representing the Moon, the Earth, and a hellish red planet for the Otherworlds, the last of which sat atop her head while the other two were floating aloft. This goofy looking person...was the one Alex and Shina were looking for.

 **Hecatia Lapislazuli ~ THE Goddess of Hell**

The Goddess of Hell kept floating there with an unassuming smile. Alex froze up as he was drawn into her ruby eyes, where he saw a glimpse into a realm far beyond his reach. Even amongst other goddesses and Youkai, Hecatia stood on her own plateau. What frightened Alex the most about her, however, was that he could not sense her power, and yet it overwhelmed him like a divine tidal wave.

Shina leaned into Alex's ear and he could feel her trembles of fear as she whispered, 鄭-Alex...What's up with her? I can barely stare at her aura...

There'll be time for chit-chat later, cause like, I kinda need some help? Hecatia's lacksy-daisy attitude was followed up by something sudden and ominous occurring behind her.

The storm clouds trembled, a thunderous boom split the skies wide open, and Alex and Shina felt the same overpowering sense of dread descending from behind the Goddess.

Calamity, ruination, fear and rage...Rage, a pure, pure and terrible rage. This was a force of nature at work, a storm of malice that desired to purify the world. Wild, uncontrolled, the storm manifested itself as a feral beast resembling a kitsune.

Its body was nothing but a mass of golden fur stained by a toxic black fog, with little in the way of a face beyond a couple tiny slits for eyes. It landed upon the empty air on all fours, and drained the atmosphere of its bountiful life. Seven violet tails spread out behind the kitsune, but none of them were made of flesh. No, they were comprised of an intangible, intoxicating, malice that corrupted the clouds and turned them to an ashen black. And finally, near the heart of the creature's body was a series of tiny, tiny human hands cradling the skeleton of a baby.

Hecatia's non-pulsed attitude around this monster was baffling to Alex, who knew EXACTLY who and _what_ this thing was. But why now? Why again? And why _her_? Alex could blame the mastermind for all these questions he had, but pointing his rage at them now would only be a waste. All his rage was but a dwarf star to this person's red giant.

The creature's mouth tore apart, with strings of flesh coming undone until the hollow, vapid void within could bellow a ghastly wail that tore apart the dimensions, _鼎_ _HANG'E...! GRRRHH...CHANG'EEEEE!_

 **Shadow Junko, the Incarnate Malice**

And as Alex and Shina plugged their ears and tried to cower from the creature's pain and agony, Hecatia held her head up high until a shadow covered her glistening red eyes, and murmured in a monotone voice, 添ou better hope you can save my friend, Sarajin's successor...

 _Next Time: The Shadow over Gensokyo_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: What the Hell is Going On?!**

Alex's head felt dizzy, and his vision of the world became shaky and disorienting. His ears rang loudly, deafening even the sound of his breath. He staggered back upright, his vision focusing in on something large and obscene. A pure red light grew in the thing's mouth, releasing a quiet pulse of energy.

Alex groaned. His eyelids had sunk halfway, and his body felt like an anchor tethered to the ocean floor. His mind drowned out all other information save for the sound of that dreadful wail. His body felt neither dead nor alive, and it drifted in-between the two for what felt like an eternity.

" _A...Alex!"_

Alex's visin started to focus clearly on that creature.

" _Alex! Move!"_

Alex's brain fired on all cylinders and sent a jolt through his nerves, snapping all his senses back to life instantly. The monster, and its attack, became clear as day. But the monster's appearance was quickly dwarved by the purifying red and white fireball it sent out, which had the appearance of a dying star.

Alex's body responded on its own, summoning his blade with a twitch of the wrist and swinging it up at the fire. He dug his feet into the air and wound up dragged ten feet back while letting out an intense growl as his strength rose to meet the challenge.

"Grah!" He screamed as his blade dug into the flames and cut it down. The embers brushed his skin like ashes but felt as cold as snow on the moon. And when they were gone, the air was pure.

After catching his breath Alex readjusted to his reality in seconds. Hecatoa, the monstrous Junko, he remembered their sudden appearance and resumed growling in a baffled rage. The goddess was in the same spot, wearing that same obnoxious, unassuming smile. But something important was missing from this scene...

"Shina, where are-!" In a rare, pleasant example of being interrupted, Alex watched as a large aura rocket collided with Junko's torn up face and made the beast wail some more in pain.

He looked up to the right and grinned at Shina in her Gunslinger form getting straight to the fight. But when she turned at him and he saw a slight hint of distress in her eyes, he realized she only trudged on out of necessity.

Junko wailed some more, all in the name of a vengeance most blind. Her tails pulsed, and from them erupted a hail of lasers, each one the size of a needle. They fell like the rain, forcing Shina to summon a bubble of aura around her, and Alex to deflect them by spinning his blade like a pinwheel. Both of them still were slowly pushed back.

"This Shadow shit was pissin' annoying three years ago, and it still is now!" Even with the lasers' roar drowning out most of his rage, Alex's words still reached and perplexed Shina.

"Y-You've faced Shadows before?!"

"I'll tell ya later!" He quickly stated. As the hail of purifying lasers ended, Alex gripped his sword backhanded and ignited the blade with flames that stretched ten feet long, "Just hit this 'thing' with everything you've got!"

He sent the fire flying in the blink of an eye, but just as quickly Hecatia rose and cleaved it in twine. Alex didn't know what angered him more: Her getting in the way, or her stopping his attack with but a pinky.

"Hey dumbass! We're TRYING to save your friend!" Alex snidely yelled while stiffly pointing at her.

The goddess took up a lax attitude and laid on her back as though the air was a handmade hammock, "Doesn't look like trying to me. Don't you like, have another form or something?"

Alex's face slumped down and remained that way as he swatted aside another fireball from Junko. "Fine..." He grumbled while bringing the sword front and center. He put his fingers around all seven triggers on the handle and declared, "But don't blame me if I hurt her!"

Shina halted her attacks and pulled back from Junko as Alex's power sharply rose. It had been a long, long time since she had witnessed this divine power be unleashed, but she still felt the urge to pump her fist and quietly yell "Yeah!" in confidence.

The trigger's harmonious clicks were followed by Alex being bathed in a wreathe of golden flames. The white-hot light from him got Hecatia to open her eyes and whimsically moan, "Ooooh, now this is more like it!"

When the flames dispersed Alex spread a pair of feathery red-gold Phoenix wings from his back and dispelled his blade. The steady release of divine flames from his body felled Junko's wrath and made her silent. She stared at him with the curiosity of a hunting beast, and let out a guttural growl as he rose even with her face.

Alex clasped his hands before his chest and slowly spread them apart. The friction ignited the air and created pure, destructive fire as red as blood. The flames swirled and collapsed into an orb the size of a basell, and Alex bit his teeth into a scowl and threw the rage of years of repressed memories into his voice.

"Begone! Accursed Shadow!"

A condensed cone of flames erupted forth from the orb towards Junko, whose eyes briefly glint with a lilac hue. As the flames drew closer its size whittled down to half, but still smashed into her pretty hard. Her mild staggering state just wasn't what Alex was looking for in the slightest.

"What?" He dryly murmured until Shina called to his attention, "A-Alex! Your wings!"

He turned back around and his wings were gone with only golden dust floating away into the sky. His eyes trembled and he swung back around, only for Hecatia to have snuck right up in his face. She could safely pat the stunned Alex twice on the head and say "A for effort there" before he retaliated with a rough swing of the blade.

The goddess floated back, bent her arms up to prop her orbs, and remarked in a ditzy manner to somewhat mock the boy, "My friend's power is to purify. Even elemental energy isn't like, safe from that."

"Of course its not..." Alex dully growled. He then looked at Junko and saw beyond that grotesque form she'd been forced to take. Alex had faith that he was stronger than her still, but this couldn't be a one-man battle.

Shina was still shaky, moreso after seeing Junko's purifying power in action. But she had nothing to fear, for her aura is pure too. If Junko was to be "saved", then Alex knew he would have to get Shina to know with confidence that his weaker state meant nothing. He thus squeezed his fist together and swung it up with his usual smirk and declared, "So what?! We'll just beat that Shadow out of her anyways!"

Hecatia smiled, lowered her hands, and flew aside as her imprisoned friend screamed in agony the name of the one she despised. Junko's jaw dangled wide open as she prepared to fire another fireball at Alex. He just stood there and waved his fingers back, egging her on with a whisper of "Come on..."

Right as Junko fired, Shina smashed her right heel deep into the side of her face and forced the fireball to go elsewhere. Hecatia nimbly ducked her head back and let it fly by her, then returned her sights onto Alex. He prepared to lunge forward with his sword, steadfast in the belief of his own strength being enough to prevail.

Hecatia moved to intercept at the slightest twitch of his forward, and blocked the tip of his blade by grabbing onto one of her orbs and putting it in the way. Alex felt his arm's muscles and bones pinch together for a sharp, painful moment, but he refused to falter. He stared Hecatia down as she glanced from her side and yelled in exasperation, "Again?!"

She closed her eyes and with the plainest of smiles she had managed to hide her intentions perfectly. Her voice showed concern for her friend, but her body betrayed those intentions. And what she was about to say wouldn't make it any clearer which side of her was true, "I'm just gonna keep getting in your way if you don't like, starting taking this seriously."

"The hell you mean by that?!" Alex yelled as he scratched his blade against her orb.

"I mean, if you aren't fighting to kill, then you stand no chance!" Hecatia casually repelled Alex and turned aside with her arms crossed against the chest.

"What? What the hell are you saying?! She's your friend!" Alex was fuming mad at this goddess' callous aloofness now, but she didn't pay him any mind.

Meanwhile, Shina pushed herself off of Junko's face upon meeting resistance and hovered back, nailing her point-blank with bullets. Shina felt weaker and sad around the monster's body, as though experiencing a great, personal loss herself. And during her moments of weakness, Junko twisted her head and prepared another fireball.

Shina then rose right over it and pounded Junko repeatedly in the skull with explosive kicks. Junko let out a scathing wail and disabled Shina by forcing her to protect her ears. Then the monster raised its tails and paid Shina back for those kicks by lashing her with a flurry of blows.

"Shina!" Alex charged towards her but Hecatia blocked him again. He didn't hesitate trying to punch her relaxed face, but she dodged it like it was the wind. Alex lift and swung his right leg up, but she leaned back with the flexibility of a gymnast and flipped away.

Thankfully for Alex, he could rest easy knowing Shina was able to muster a barrier around herself and pull back. But then Hecatia's voice left his peace in ruins.

"Junko's always been like this. Her rage's been unchecked for centuries, so its not like I wasn't expecting it to consume her eventually..." Her voice got serious as she dropped her accent, but Alex still attacked her brazenly with a punch. She dodged out of the way by getting behind him, and he spun his head back to glare at her.

"You should be helping her goddamn it! Can't you see the pain she's in?!" He swung his right arm towards Junko, but Hecatia sealed her eyes off from the sight. Alex spat in her direction and fell short, then charged at Junko and managed to deliver a hard, sky quaking punch to her chest.

Alex tried for another but Hecatia warped in his path and kicked him back. She then had to act fast to fly up and use the orb of the Earth to deflect Shina's bullets, all while lecturing the two on a certain tragedy, "Have you ever heard of the tale of Junko?"

Alex went for an uppercut and expected her to dodge. When she did Shina used that opening to launch a rocket into Junko's chest. The baby's skeleton she cradled cracked and bled, and made her raging wail shriek even louder. She took her tails and lit them with a pure white fire, scorching the skies with wild, straight firing lasers.

The others scattered as Junko flailed her head and screamed that hated name, continuing to rampage for a full minute. Alex and Shina ran from the lasers and attacked when scarcely possible, and Hecatia floated safely overheard and told part of the tale while staring at Junko.

"Junko was a loving mother. She had one one, but gave him the love of ten. But one day fate dealt a cruel, cruel hand. The husband of the Lunarian Chang'e, Houyi, shot down the sun as a show of superiority to other gods, but in doing so accidentally got Junko's son killed."

Hecatia stopped when one laser strayed her way, then flew towards Alex and caught one of his punches in her hand. She spun around and moved them both away from Junko's wrath, then pushed him aside and continued to tell her tale.

"Junko cradled the charred corpse of her son in her arms. It was not just her skin that got burned, but also her heart. All her love died, slowly killed by the cancerous vengeance that grew deep inside. She cursed Houyi, she cursed Chang'e, she cursed all Lunarians, she cursed the world."

Alex rushed in for a couple broad swinging punches but Hecatia gracefully avoided them both. The goddess warped higher up, only to get surprised by Shina hitting her with an aura rocket. Hecatia tumbled a couple feet back and shook her head, then swung her right hand up to block a rifle shot from Shina.

Shina flew past Alex and quickly declared, "You're better off attacking Junko! Go!"

She held her guns forward and fired out a hundred bullets at once, but in a flashy blur Hecatia glided a pointer finger through the air and deflected them all. She then summoned both her orbs to her front and summoned a bright crimson power within them, unleashing a short-ranged blast to force Shina back.

Shina coughed and shook her right wrist, which got damaged the most, and then found herself feeling a little tired. She get firing bullets from this safe distance and switched up to SMGs. Hecatia used both her hands to block the bullets, so Shina just upgraded to the rocket launcher and fired one out.

Hecatia rose and swept the air with a blinding fast kick, and shattered the rocket before it could explode. She then wagged her leg out, as though she did feel _some_ pain, and had nothing but a playful smile to give to the Aurian. She then glided to the right and kept on the move from Shina's attacks while continuing her story.

"But all of Junko's rage wasn't enough. She was bound to her other emotions. The sorrow from the loss of her son, the happiness of memories past...She had to get rid of all those other emotions for her rage to become stronger. So she purified her grudge, and became the embodiment of it. The mortal 'Junko' died, and the divine spirit of hatred was born."

Shina's persistant efforts at targeting Hecatia got her frustrated and she raised her head with a pout. Then she took her guns and held them out, spinning rapidly in place while firing out. Hecatia intentionally took one of the bullets and stopped, then glided far away over to Junko. Shina went in pursuit and kept the pressure on the goddess for Alex's sake.

During the time Shina gave him, Alex evaded two fireballs from the malicious shadow and then ran right in to clobber her in the gut. Junko staggered a tiny bit but used its situation to fire an incinerating pale white laser straight down at the boy.

Alex zipped back but the laser kept after him, forcing him to leap to the left. Junko's tails then raised, each firing a lightning fast barrage of needles that homed in even as he bolted around lightning fast. Alex spun his sword out at his side to keep the needles off him as he got closer and closer, then dispelled it at the last second before uppercutting Junko square in the chest.

She was displaced and thrown higher up, her massive body collapsing in a sprawled out heap in the air a moment later. But her rage was an infinite energy battery, and allowed her to rise back up in seconds and roar right into Alex's face. He squeezed a finger into each ear and squinted one eye open at the monster, finding her rage tiresome, but pitiful.

Their lives had played out worlds and centuries apart, but Alex still felt a connection with Junko's wrath. A person unopposed for their heinous crimes, a wicked soul allowed to live out their days in peace...Chang'e and that man Alex despised were very much alike.

"Junko existed only to fulfill her grudge against Chang'e and those protecting her. And as I watched this spirit of wrath become consumed by these desires, I felt a kinship grow between us. I too shared a dislike for Chang'e and the Lunarians." Hecatia spoke up from right behind Alex, causing his back to stiffen and for him to spin around and attack on reflex.

The goddess flew back and flipped over Shina's barrage of bullets, which Alex made haste to deflect with his blade. Shina ground to a halt before running into Alex, and the two then split up as Junko attempted to incinerate them with her purity. Hecatia floated a few feet away from Junko's face and looked into her hollow eyes.

What Hecatia saw was something only she could speak about, but she didn't. Junko stared at her and quietly growled, and Hecatia continued to invest wholesale in telling her friend's story, "We plotted and schemed for a long, long time about how to get revenge against the Lunarians, and more importantly Chang'e. Even if she was incapable of reciprocating my feelings, **I** saw her as something more than a friend."

Junko opened her mouth and attacked Hecatia with a fireball, but she glided around it but a couple inches away and pushed it down with a gentle tap. The fireball collided with the air and broke apart, spreading those pure flames to the wayside.

Hecatia hovered with her head leaned out and smiled, even as Junko continued to attack her. She evaded the attacks and left Alex and Shina alone to fight Junko free of concern for a bit. Alex faced the monster and flew back as she used her tails to send laser wildly flailing around the area. He cut the lasers down with one clean swipe each, but all the while he thought sympathetically about Junko's story.

" _She deserves revenge..."_ He firmly believed that Junko had done nothing to deserve being a prisoner in her own body. She was scorned by the gods, who were now allowed sanctity in their so-called "pure" paradise on the moon. Alex barely held a high opinion of Eirin and Kaguya as is, and so it was no surprise that his views on the Lunarians were to call them less than dirt.

Hecatia's reasoning for wanting Junko to die still made zero sense, so Alex was not about to be her puppet there. Besides, in his mind killing Junko would be hypocrisy. Why should she be condemned for committing to righteous justice while he gets to live wanting the same?

When the monster's attacks waned for even a moment, Alex looked in her eyes and was reminded of what had happened to him not long ago. He almost became this very monster, a beast consumed only by vengeance. But whereas Junko's fury was pure and focused, his would not have stopped until all living things were wiped out. He could not thank Shina enough for saving him from that terrible fate, even if at the time all he longed for was a swift, painless death.

He glared back over his shoulder at Hecatia, who almost seemed to be reading his mind as she quickly shrugged her shoulders up and said, "So how could I possibly bring myself to like, put her out of her misery you know?"

Alex slowly closed his eyes and grimly agreed "Of course not" as Shina's presence stirred to life similar thoughts he had regarding her. Not so very long ago he had presumed that she could've been trained to put a stop to him had he gone wild. But when forced to choose between the world and himself, she chose and succeeded in saving both.

So Hecatia's nonchalance regarding Junko's life became even stranger in his eyes than it was a second ago. The goddess and Shina were in similar positions, but had different mindsets for literally no reason. It was almost as if Hecatia was doing this on purpose, Alex presumed, but the reasons as to why was far beyond his understanding.

He turned towards Junko, reached deep into his right pocket, and murmured loud enough for Shina to hear, "Stand aside, I'm finishing this now."

She paused right away, taken aback by the resolve she felt exuding from Alex's body. And at the moment her eyes connected with his, she saw him take out the Gaia Temporis and clutch it extra tight around his hand. Even Shina couldn't get a reading on what Alex was thinking, and backed away accordingly as she felt herself being in the midst of a beginning storm.

Hecatia hovered back and her eyes glew with a partial glaze of intrigue, and she tickled the side of her face while murmuring to herself, "So that's what you plan to do, is it?"

Alex closed his eyes and took in as deep a breath as he could. Junko lowered her head evenly with his body and split her mouth apart until nothing remained of the sides of her jaw. She screamed so loud, and in so much pain, that he briefly considered rescinding his plan and freeing her from this agony for good.

But Junko would not be granted the mercy of death. It was **Shadow** Junko that would have that honor instead. As the Shadow coerced all its malice and despair into one final attack, Alex channeled all the hatred for the mastermind responsible for this transformation into his left fist, and focused what little energy he had beyond that into commanding the Gaia Temporis to do one thing.

"Stop."

Junko unleashed a beam that could have wiped out a whole mountain range, but Alex vanished the instant before it hit. Then a second later, Junko's body was hammered by a punch of immeasurible force that rang out like a cannon being fired off. She howled in pain, and her body was assaulted by three punches in separate locations.

The effects of the first punch faded, only to be replaced by another. Junko screeched and cried, but no amount of agony could breech the frozen time Alex was in. Every time he entered the colored void where time ceased to be, Alex wound his punch back and delivered it with all his strength put into it.

Time should have resumed when he was done, but he activated the Gaia Temporis the very millisecond it could have and kept his assault going. He was literally punching the wrath out of Shadow Junko, but not without some cost. Every time the Gaia Temporis obeyed his wishes, he could feel something scratching at his mind like nails on the chalkboard.

A dormant beast kept silent was awakening, pushing itself closer to the front of his straining mind with every punch he committed to. His other self would soon enough be able to whisper devilish temptations into his brain. But he'd gladly pay this toll if it meant giving Junko another chance to finish her mission.

After eleven consecutive punches, Alex rose above the Shadow's head and smashed straight down. Junko collapsed, giving in to the weight of its mass. But for a few more seconds, the Shadow hissed and howled, tearfully crying out the hated one's name out of desperation. The tiny hands that cradled that baby skeleton went limp, and as if fate wasn't cruel enough for the divine spirit her hulking body crushed the skeleton to dust as she finished collapsing.

The darkness burned apart into a horrible, horrible black mist that seeped into the atmosphere, but without fear Hecatia floated over into the midst of it and knelt down to pick up the person left behind. It was a woman wearing a Chinese outfit of a red and yellow tabard with a red sash over a wide-sleeved dress, with a black Phoenix crown atop her head of long orange hair.

The woman was unconscious even as Hecatia lifted her up by the back of her head and smiled at her face. Alex, meanwhile, spent his victory period with a throbbing headache that made him want to collapse. Shina rushed to his aid and kept him up with a gentle embrace around his chest, then looked into his eyes to make sure he was ok.

Both his eyes looked drained of life, but it was nothing he couldn't overcome if given time alone. She stood by, just to be safe.

Alex put the Gaia Temporis away and looked over at the goddess and her friend, and still found himself massively confused. Hecatia's embrace of Junko was one of tender love and care, and there was a longing in her eyes that extended beyond friendship. So why? Why was she so insistent that Junko needed to die if she would be so accepting of the alternate outcome?

Alex wanted to ask that, but there was only enough strength in him to let out a dry gasp. Instead, Shina brought up another problem that he was surprised he had overlooked, "So ummm...I'm happy this all turned out ok buuuuut...Is nobody wondering why Reimu wasn't on the scene like, right away?"

" _O-Oh yeah...where the_ _ **hell**_ _was she? If she ignored this that's just beyond lazy..."_

Hecatia raised her head without a care and stated as though it was a matter-of-fact, "Duh! She totally wouldn't see a thing with this in the way."

She knocked on the air below like it was a door, and a tiny ripple extended from her knuckles. Shina gasped and couldn't believe it, "A barrier?! W-When?! H-How?! H-Huh?!"

" _The mastermind...No, Yukari did this..."_ Alex's doubts that that Youkai wasn't involved were slowly fading after this encounter. The Shadow thing still didn't make a lick of sense, but a barrier with the power to separate this battle from the rest of Gensokyo's sight? Yukari was the only person who was capable of that, especially seeing how it contained **Hecatia** of all people.

Of course, it could just be that Hecatia had held back the whole time they fought...

" _Nah..."_ Alex believed, for the sake of his sanity.

"Mmmrrmm..." Junko murmured and her eyes opened up. Her red eyes had this vacant stare that was worse off than Kokoro's, because it was physically impossible for her to show emotions.

Hecatia backed off and Junko rose up, putting her hands into her sleeves and facing her friend with a pitifully fake smile and slight tilt of the head, "Hecatia...? Where are we?"

The goddess crossed her arms against her chest and gave a gentle nod, "You don't remember? You're totally a klutz Junko."

"I am a klutz? Yes, I guess so." Junko's movements were like a doll's. It would've made her fascinating to watch, had Alex and Shina not known what her story was. Instead, it was hard to watch her try and have fun with her best friend.

Hecatia gleamed at Alex and had a smile full of mischief. He groaned, suspecting that his troubles were not quite over, and the goddess quickly justified his concerns. She waved one hand towards the two of them and remarked to Junko, "Why, we were having a fun fun time with these humans when you took like, the biggest rock to the face ever! And then 'poof!', you were out like a light!"

"I...was?" Junko raised a sleeve to her chin and didn't even blink.

"Yeah yeah! And the one who threw that rock," Hecatia lazily flicked her hand towards Alex, and Junko looked at him just in time to see him get fuming mad in the face, "Was him!"

" _Oh you BITCH...!"_ Alex angrily swung his fist up at the goddess and was tempted to flip her off.

Junko dryly stared at him for a few second and then whispered, "He does...look familiar. He's not a very nice person then?"

"Oh yes, yes! He's like, totally the worst!" Hecatia said while brushing the side of her hair.

Shina drooped her arms before her waist and shook her head. It was hard not to smile at the two's antics after the prior danger, even if Alex was looking ready to pop a blood vessel.

"Well, at least nobody died..." She quietly chimed in.

Seven wispy energy tails appeared behind Junko, who held her arms out and bobbed her head to the left. She exuded a pure aura, and pretended to smile in intrigue as she spoke indirectly to Hecatia, "I think I want to teach these two humans a lesson, Hecatia. Care to join me?"

"Two-on-two? Like, how could we not have fun playing that way?" Hecatia conjoined her back right to Junko's side and exuded some of her power towards her two unwilling opponents with a smile.

Alex grabbed the front of his face and rubbed it down, leaving streak marks in the skin. He then shook his head and just simply decided to go "Screw. It." in the most uncaring voice he could muster. He then set his hands on fire and looked at Shina.

"Got it in you for a little more?" He inquired, giving her an easy out that she swiftly shook her head in denial of.

"Yeah! Lets show 'em **our** teamwork!" She raised one of her pistols and waggled it as a sort-of 'Bring it on' gesture.

Alex thrust his burning finger at Hecatia and declared, "But if we win you better tell us what the hell is going on here, got it?!"

"Like of course! I'll tell _you_ everything...But uh," Hecatia's glare grew stern and her voice became as mature as expected of one of her position, "You're not going to beat us. Isn't that right Junko?"

"Verily. A human impure with the stench of death cannot possibly hope to beat me."

Alex knew that rather blunt comment could've only been directed at him, but it was no big deal. It just meant he'd have a grand opportunity to prove her wrong.

"Then pull out your best Spell Card and we'll tear it down!"

Hecatia and Junko raised their hands together and created a single glowing Spell Card with the purity of Junko's essence and the hellish power of Hecatia merging together into a white-red wispy light.

"This is our combined strength. Welcome to Hell, Alex Whiter and Shina Aurora!" Hecatia and Junko's hands entwined to crush the Spell Card, and they both declared its name.

" **Dream of Salvation 'Requiem Blue'!"**

Junko spread her arms out and Hecatia levitated a few feet over her head, creating curved waves of condensed purple orbs that pushed out until they surrounded the two of them in six large, incomplete circles. Junko provided back-up by launching streams of violet oval bullets that focused entirely on Alex and Shina whenever they were released.

The two gave a brief nod of acknowledgement and knew from there how to tackle the hellish duo. Shina would focus down Junko, Alex would go after Hecatia. They split up, playing keep away with Junko's straightforward attempt to attack them. Hecatia added more of her bullets to the mix, launching them quickly across the entire sky in large waves that spun clockwise as they went further out.

Alex slipped between the gaps and drew his sword to set it ablaze and attack Hecatia with a fire wave. The goddess crossed her arms and slipped to the right, grazing the flames without disrupting her attack. She flicked a hand up towards Alex and wiggled her pointer finger around with a smile, but was surprised when he showed no signs of ire towards her.

He just kept slicing at the air while gliding around her bullets at Junko's, some of which were floating around like little mines when they failed to hit. Hecatia could only push so far away from her spot without disrupting her pattern, and thus chose to take some of Alex's attacks in stride as she glided to the other side of where she once stood and waited for Junko's efforts to force the boy away.

Alex took some of Junko's bullets to the chest but pulled away before the entire stream collided. Then he slowly inched to the edge of the battlefield and collapsed his blade into flames, punching the air straight after to send a large fireball into Hecatia. The Goddess slipped down and laid flat against the air to duck it, but unfortunately for her Alex then followed up with a large lightning bolt from above she couldn't avoid.

The blinding flash of electricity concealed some of her bullets, making Alex take some of them head on as he tried to get out of the way of Junko's. The vengeful spirit had no need to apply beauty to her Danmaku. She was purely concentrated on victory by any means necessary. It made her patterns simple to dodge, but that was where Hecatia came in.

The Goddess provided perfect compensation with her bullets, filling in the necessary gaps that Junko's blind offense missed. Alex knew it'd be a rough road to victory against two of Gensokyo's strongest duelists, but whereas Junko had Hecatia for back-up, so too did he have Shina.

Shina was faring pretty well herself. Her nimbleness was always going to be her greatest strength in combat, **especially** during Danmaku, as she could glide between even the tightest bullet patterns without pausing for a second. And from there she utilized the Gunslinger Drive to the best of her ability, and kept the pressure entirely on Junko with a hail mary of bullets.

Junko didn't react to any of the bullets. She kept firing hers without a care in the world, and hopefully they would prevail when combined with Hecatia's.

Shina managed to get within ten feet of Junko and resorted to a couple shotgun blasts to get some quick and heavy damage before the duo's swarm of bullets threatened to overwhelm her. She summoned her jet boots and blasted safely away, performing a couple flips just for personal flair.

Alex saw that she had this lovable grin on her face and was glad that she could enjoy herself like this. Even if her people hadn't been saved yet, she deserved to smile as much as she wanted after all the other crap thrown her way over the last couple of years.

Alex took a few bullets to his sides, which reminded him not to let his mind wander. He threw a few underhanded fireballs towards Hecatia, but she swung her body back and forth to evade them. Alex then clapped his hands and the forceful rupture of sound commanded the fireballs to burst and hit Hecatia in the back.

The Goddess chose to look down at Junko and saw her succumbing to the brunt of Shina's assault, and realized there that her own pattern wasn't serving its purpose well enough as a wall of protection. Without a word, Hecatia's hair and eyes suddenly turned crystal blue and her current pattern started to vanish to be replaced by another, stronger one.

On the sides of the battlefield walls of head-sized blue orbs glided into view and quickly pincered Alex and Shina into a tighter space. As the orbs got near Hecatia's area they let out a sparkling glint of light and began to fire off lightning quick lasers.

Alex took a couple to his back and flinched, which led to him taking some of Junko's bullets to the face. He quickly scrambled out of there before more of those pesky lasers could catch him, but didn't forget to throw a couple air bullets towards Hecatia.

Shina swung her hips around to graze the lasers that came her way, letting out a couple 'Whoops!' as she made haste to get away from them. She turned around, grit her teeth, and paid attention to the frequency and speed of the lasers for a little bit. Not forgetting Junko's bullets, Shina glanced over her shoulder, squeaked in surprise, then performed a swift backflip to get over and past them.

Though it wasn't her mission to do so, she took the initiative to fire a few shots at Hecatia while Alex was preoccupied dodging lasers. Alex, meanwhile, noticed that Hecatia had left herself wide-open and quickly schemed a plan of attack against her.

But there was little time to perform it, so he took in a deep breath and hoped that Shina'd understand what he was doing without him saying a word. He flew right up and gently grabbed her below the elbows. She widened her eyes and muttered a quick "Wait what are you...?!" as Alex lowered her whole body in front of his chest and started to spin around as though paricipating in a game of shotput.

Alex rotated five times to build up the necessary speed, threw Shina over Junko's bullets in a straight line towards Hecatia, then pulled away and kept on the run from the lasers. Shina froze up for a moment from his sudden forwardness but then clicked her tongue and smirked, realizing how brilliant this plan was.

"YEEHAW!" She yelled in excitement before fully committing to being the first humanoid Danmaku ever. Even Hecatia was left dumbfounded as both the girl's feet slammed into her body, followed by her boots releasing a burst of raw energy that safely repelled her away.

She then spun upright, tucked her legs in, and whipped her SMGs out to spray Hecatia with more bullets. Her body glided over every laser that flew her way until gravity grabbed on, at which point Shina dropped straight past the rest and got underneath Junko. She then flipped a thumbs-up out for Alex, hoping he'd be able to catch it, yet at the same time disappointed her giddy smile wouldn't reach too.

Thankfully he did catch her thumbs-up at least, and his already sky-high motivation rocketed to the atmosphere. He swung his arms down and set his hands on fire, then flung multiple fireballs at Junko while barrel rolling away from her bullets. A couple lasers caught him off-guard, but he didn't care. He felt unstoppable!

Hecatia rubbed the back of one hand against her chin and hummed, then waved that hand out to snap her fingers, changing her hair and eyes once more to blonde. As the wall of lasers disintegrated she raised both her hands and created a miniature moon with ease and surrounded it with a fiery red ring. She then bolted up and spiked it down like it was nothing more than a volleyball.

Alex widened his eyes as the shadow of the moon buried him in darkness and its impact seemed inevitable. But then a rope of aura wound tightly around his left arm and with a hard tug pulled him away in the nick of time. The rope quickly broke off, and Alex briefly looked up to see Shina switching to her regular arsenal and firing upon Junko.

His heart was racing, but not enough to halt his smile. After shaking his head a bit and knowing that Shina was already aware of his appreciation, he drew his sword and slashed the air multiple times to send waves of flame at the Goddess. Hecatia shifted her body around like a blur to evade them for a couple seconds until a rough quake forced Alex to stop.

She then slyly waved her thumb at the moon she sent out, which was responsible for the quake due to striking an invisible force. And with that action a vast rain of large Danmaku began to descend upon the battlefield.

Alex found weaving between the rain and Junko's bullets to be much more difficult than the lasers, for at least they could be predicted. Topping this shitcake with the moon still flying around and Hecatia had whipped up the perfect recipe for disaster for them to deal with.

The moon moved slowly, but seeing how it was still the largest bullet the two had encountered in all of Gensokyo its presence couldn't be ignored. Everytime it rammed against an invisible force, it brought more Danmaku down to plague the two's efforts to attack the hellish duo.

Then, Hecatia created a second moon and sent it out the same as before, and Alex started to feel the pressure getting to him. His opponents wouldn't show their waning strength for obvious reasons, but it was his firm belief that Shina and him were getting close to victory.

Like Kaguya and Mokou or Byakuren and Miko, defeating just one of the duo would end the Spell Card. Shina had paid close attention to this, and came to the conclusion that Hecatia would be the closest to faltering. The moons were a massive threat certainly, but Hecatia had sacrificed defense for this incredible offense.

Shina created a rocket launcher and took aim at Hecatia, but upon looking through the scope of her weapon she saw the goddess winking. An incredible pressure pushed her way from the left, as one of the moon's was now deliberately targeting her.

Alex flew in the way of the moon and slammed his hands against it to the hold it back. Though it had physical properties, it was still Danmaku, and exposure to it drained some of his stamina. But it bought Shina the precious few seconds she needed to either attack or flee.

She had a clear shot of Hecatia, but hesitated to pull the trigger. After biting the lower side of her lip she turned the weapon into a grappling lasso gun, flew forward, and fired back to wrap the aura rope around Alex's waist to pull him to safety.

She had pulled harder than even she expected, as he flew right into her chest and pushed them both into a few of the descending Danmaku. He pulled away and shook his hands, not even allowed a chance to thank her as both moons were flying straight at them.

He quickly turned around and wrapped his hands around her waist, which made her blush and giggle. But he then flung her higher, allowing her to line up perfectly and safely with the Goddess while the moons were distracted focusing on him.

He swung his hands out and channeled most of his remaining energy into creating two large diamond walls to fend off the moons' advance. It'd be a breeze for Danmaku to overpower this defense, but those few seconds he bought again would secure the two's victory. That much Alex was certain of.

Shina propped up her rocket launcher in both hands and hesitated to pull the trigger. But then Alex's warm touch reached her hands, and stabilized her aim. He stood with his back glued to her hip and glanced over his shoulder, then raised his hand up to her weapon and funneled the power of fire into the payload stored within.

He gave the affirming nod, and she did the same with a confident smile. Then without a second more to waste, she clutched the rocket launcher's trigger tightly and fired the flaming rocket straight at Hecatia. The Goddess witnessed it like a meteor descending from space, then crossed her arms together and embraced defeat, even as her moons breeched the pitiful barriers.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Junko flew in front of Hecatia and stretched her arms out, intercepting the rocket. The Goddess froze with widened eyes and a gasp that went unheard due to the deafening blast, and seconds later the duo's Danmaku shattered.

Shina lowered her arms and breathed a deep sigh while deactivating the Gunslinger Drive. Alex then swung his right hand out and, after a brief pause, she grabbed onto it tight and they shook firmly on a job well-done. But Shina surprised him by going the extra mile and pulling him in for a hug.

His face turned bright red and his smile got wobbly. Not that he minded, but he still felt it embarrassing to do this in front of others. So with a dry cough he got the message across clearly and Shina pulled back, giggling playfully his way.

They then faced the hellish duo, and finally saw what had left the Goddess speechless. After taking the final attack for her friend, Junko floated there with arms out and a vacant stare for a good five seconds.

Hecatia crossed her arms and with a meaty grin commented with her usual goofiness, "Like, that was totally unnecessary Junko. I was fine, I swear!"

Junko pivoted around and stared her friend in the face, telling her in a surprisingly blunt manner, "I'm satisfied Hecatia. This duel has been tiring, and I'd like to rest..."

"You do huh? Ok sure, we'll head back home after I give them their reward."

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you." Junko bowed her head and then magnetically locked her gaze onto the Goddess as she floated past her and approached Alex and Shina.

Hecatia waved a hand out and remarked with genuine gratitude, "Like, sorry for making you put up with that. You two totally surprised me though, honest!"

Alex floated ahead of Shina and firmly glared at the Goddess as he pointed out, "Don't forget your promise Hecatia."

"I had like, no intention to! But I promised I'd tell _you_. Sorry girlfriend, but that's the way its gotta be."

Alex glanced back at Shina and then to Hecatia again, asking her bluntly, "But why?"

"Hey hey, its fine! This gossip's just a lot juicier for you than her, catch my drift?"

" _...She does seem to know a thing or two about the Elemental Overlord. I guess none of that_ _ **would**_ _matter to Shina."_ Still, he looked to Shina for permission to go along with Hecatia's offer.

She looked into his eyes and smiled and nodded, and that was enough. He then looked back at Hecatia, who clapped her hands and remarked, "Sweet! I like, owe you a lot for not actually putting Junko down. Guess I shouldn't have judged a book by its cover Mr. Butcher of Sin!"

Alex blankly stared at her with his head tilted aside as he dryly muttered, "...Excuse me?"

 _Next Time: Justice Paid in Blood_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: The Overlord's Sin**

Alex briefly reflected on his journey at this particular juncture. He had learned a lot about himself, good and bad, and come to terms with them both. Sure, it wasn't pretty, but he felt he's become a better person because of those struggles. But if there's one thing he would, never, EVER shake, it was the stigma of his title, the so-called "Phoenix of Destruction".

Yet it seemed perhaps just taking up the mantle of Elemental Overlord cursed one with these abhorrent titles. "The Godslayer" and now "The Butcher of Sins". Both titles carried different implications, but seemed to be centered around the same unknown period of history in Gensokyo. Even if he never said it outright, he wanted to know more about the original Overlord.

This strangley clothed air-headed Goddess, however, seemed more than ready to bare all those secrets like it was simple high-school gossip. Alex had no doubt about that. And perhaps it was about for those secrets to come to light.

Alex had been deep in thought about this for a full a minute after Hecatia brought that title up. His arms were crossed, both eyes were shut, and he didn't even breathe. He looked like a statue, just with less of a personality. Shina poked his right cheeks and wondered what he thought. She looked at Hecatia as she hovered into his personal space and leaned her head in closer.

The Goddess then turned and asked her, "Does he like, usually get like this?"

Shina dryly giggled as she joked, "Not...usually? Definitely not for this long though..."

Alex's eyes sprang open and scared the two girls off, and after some irritable growling he looked towards Hecatia and demanded something important to him, "I don't want to hear anything from you unless Shina can too. That's my final offer."

Hecatia gave a grizzly smirk while waving her right hand around by her shoulder before replying, "Full discretion. Its not like I'm being secretive. You can totally tell her later, honest! I just like, prefer mentioning all the gory details, y'know?"

"Ya wouldn't be a Goddess of Hell otherwise..." Shina leaned a hand against the side of her face and let out an unsurprised sigh. She then waved that hand to Alex and said, "Go ahead Alex, sounds like you'll get more outta this than me anyways."

He turned around and leaned in close to her to keep his voice out of the ears of prying deities. He didn't feel right with Shina's complacent answer, for he knew she could stomach those gruesome details, "You deserve to know too."

He waved a pointer finger into her face and insisted, "And don't tell me no."

She took his finger with her palm and pushed it down, then looked into his eyes with quiet intentions, "Its ok! Its your history, not mine. Just promise to give me the nitty gritty after, k?"

"Guess it'll make a good traveling tale..." Alex caved in with little motivation to argue back.

"AAAAND I wanna know more about that story involving Shadows." She said while leaning to her side with a wink and waggle of one finger.

"What am I, Mother Goose?" The primal desire to quip overpowered Alex, and he became embarrassed. With a dry cough he hastily corrected himself, "I-I mean sure, I-I can..."

Shina's teeny giggly fit interrupted him, and when combined with Hecatia's shrilled one it made him clam up and think, _"There's too many women in this world..."_

He then turned to Hecatia, lazily waved a hand up from his pocket, and said, "Ok lets get going."

The two floated away and Shina energetically waved them off, "I'll be right here...Waiting...Aaaall by myself..."

Alex leaned his head back and groaned at her playful attempt at guilt-tripping. So he saw fit to spin that around on her by looking back and suggesting, "Why not keep Junko company?"

Shina looked at the wrathful spirit floating silently like a stage prop and then back to Alex. He held two hands up like finger guns, clicked his tongue, and tried to be witty, "You know...Blondes have more fun and what-not?"

Hecatia slapped her face and sighed. Shina then blinked a few times and stuttered, "S-Sure...I-I guess?"

After Alex and Hecatia were out of earshot Shina slowly floated over to Junko. She stared at her creepily like a doll from one of those films she watched. Even so, Shina figured it was worth a try and waved a hand to say, "Hello!"

"Hello." Junko echoed back like a monotone parrot.

"...H-How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. How about you?" Junko was polite, but her dull tone of voice was very offputting to Shina.

"Fiiiiiine?" Shina purposefully drew her response out to give her time to come up with a proper topic that the spirit might resonate well with. Her eyes gazed around but saw only clouds.

" _...Good enough!"_ She kept looking at the clouds and Junko mimicked her like a reflection in the mirror as she asked, "H-How about this weather?"

Junko put her arms within her sleeves and almost smiled as she commented, "The clouds are grey. They remind me of death."

Shina's felt her eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets before she lost the will to try and slumped over. With a long, pained sigh she grumbled, "Maaaaaaybe I shoulda gone with Alex..."

Over with Hecatia and Alex, the Goddess spun around in place to face him and then bowed her head, repeating the gratitude she had given before, "Seriously, can't thank you enough for sparing Junko. You like, totally impressed me back there."

Alex crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his elbows with a loose frown. After a few seconds Hecatia peeked her head up and smiled. He then tilted his head and cut right to the chase, "Did you seriously think I was going to kill Junko?"

"Of course not! Totally not! Never came to mind!" She said while fervently shaking her head.

"Really," Alex planted a hand against his hip and bluntly commented, "Cause it sure as hell didn't feel it like it."

"Hmmm...Yeah, you're right! Caught me..." Hecatia laid her hands out and instantly turned her hair back to red, " _Red_ -handed!"

A stiff and awkward silence pervaded the two for a good ten seconds after. Hecatia reeled back in, crossed her arms before her waist, then smiled and said, "But seriously like...It was nothing personal kid. Circumstances were what they were, so I decided to test your mettle!"

"Not because of a grudge against the original Overlord, correct?" Alex felt it necessary to find out.

"I've got nothing against Sarajin. Actually, full disclosure, I'm a huge fan of his work." It was difficult for Alex to tell if Hecatia was playing around or actually being serious, especially in light of her saying _that_ thing earlier.

" _Fans_ wouldn't call their idol a 'Butcher of Sins'."

"Goddess of Hell, hellooo?" Hecatia commented in snide and Alex, hesitantly, could accept that reasoning for now. He then went silent in thought until Hecatia rudely interrupted him.

"But like, how is he doing these days? Is he keeping warm in that body of yours?"

"The old man's been silent for a couple years now..." Alex begrudgingly told her.

"Heh, 'old man' he says..." Hecatia giggled, but her whispers failed to go unnoticed by the boy. Yet before he could comment, she threw a blunt question in his face, "You really don't know much about Sarajin, do you?"

"Hmph, no shit." Alex gruffly responded.

"Well sorry to disappoint, but I'm not the Encyclopedia on Elemental Overlords," Hecatia then nudged her brows a couple of times to entice his intrigue, "Buuuut I do have some juicy tidbits to share."

"Lay it on me."

"No hesitation? Ohoho, you're like...Totally capturing my heart here!" When Alex started growling she simply closed her eyes and giggled, "Just kidding!"

Her stance firmed up and she spoke in a somewhat deeper voice, "So what **do** you know about Sarajin?"

Alex lowered his head a bit and tried to recall what he knew. His pool of knowledge was shallow, ankle-deep at best, so it took some time. But Hecatia was patient, for his answer was worth it, "He was a warrior of justice...And was wrongfully made a victim of divine foul play."

"Wrongfully, eh? Interesting," The Goddess' loosely sealed eyes shuttered her views from Alex's mortal understanding, and her eccentric way of speaking made it difficult for him to believe her, "And if I told you he was rebellious? What would you think then?"

Alex struggled not to burst out laughing, "I'd say you're full of shit!"

"Because you know the legend but not the man behind it." Hecatia softly spoke up.

Alex went dead silent and wide-eyed. He found himself looking away from Hecatia, who continued to speak merrily, "Though he wasn't rebellious in like a...Goth-punk teenager sorta way. Nah, he was more like..."

She gestured her hand out and spoke with respect, "A person who took common sense and flipped it on its head. If someone was right and he thought it was wrong, then he'd try to make things right for both parties."

"It was a totally heavy burden, but he never lost faith in his beliefs, even if they hurt him."

Alex's mood slowly soured as those few words turned his view on the Overlord upside-down and made him feel little. Yet there was also that doubt in Hecatia's word that led him to glare at her, expecting her to pop out another 'Just kidding!' But it never came.

She closed her eyes and let the words trickle from her mouth like an enticing lure for the fist-eyed boy, "Maybe it'd be better if I like, gave you an example, and answer another question to boot!"

Alex shut up and let her be, which she appreciated deep down. She reached for the orb of the moon and held it out, its pale yellow glow hypnotizing Alex to focus only on it. As she told these events, they played out vividly in Alex's head.

" _Before the barrier was erected around Gensokyo, the Youkai attempted an invasion of the moon, led by Yukari Yakumo. Their forces numbered a thousand strong, and every Youkai were the toughest, grittiest, totally nastiest of their kind."_

"Didn't the invasion end in failure?" Alex interrupted while fending off the grimace he got from hearing Yukari's name again.

"Certainly, but y'see...It wasn't supposed to."

"What?"

" _When I said nasty, I meant it with a capital 'N'. The army of Youkai would've torn the Lunar Capital to pieces in day if left unchecked."_

Hecatia then suddenly pulled the moon back and asked, "Forgot to check, have you heard of the 'higher-ups'?"

"...The Overlord's bosses, right?" Alex's simple answer got her fluttering her eyelashes before thrusting the moon back out and saying, "Close enough!"

" _So yeah like, those bigwigs saw that the balance of Gensokyo was in danger and send Sarajin in to assist the Lunarians."_

"What?!" Alex growled in disgust.

"Hush!" She bluntly silenced him, "I'm getting to that, gosh!"

" _The Lunarians despised having to work with a 'mortal', but had no choice if they wished to survive. Yukari had sealed the way to the Dream World, cornering them like rats. The battle threatened to paint the whole moon red. It was a lovely sight, to be honest."_

" _Sarajin had to sit in on their war council meeting, and caught a glimpse into how the Lunarians lived their lives. He grew increasingly worn down as his attempts to make the Lunarians see reason proved futile. He wanted to avoid bloodshed, but so did the Lunarians...Just uuhhh, not in the way he was wanting."_

" _See, the Lunarians are so scared of death they'll do everything possible to avoid it. So like, to stave off death they forced Sarajin to the frontlines along with a few expendable soldiers who didn't know what their role would be. Sarajin did though, and grew thoroughly disgusted with them. But like, he had to commit to his duty right? He couldn't just let things go out of balance."_

" _So he stepped out onto the battlefield with the small army the Lunarians provided, and tried to reason with the Youkai to ceasefire. But they were barbarians, the worst of the worst, and charged into the slaughterfest headfirst. The Lunarians' died fast, but the Elemental Overlord stood his ground and fended off as many Youkai as possible."_

" _Like, I had never seen so much ferocity in a single mortal in my life! Even with a doubtful mind he cleanly sliced through every Youkai that attacked him, and stained his body in their blood. He refused to let a single drop touch the moon. The Youkai were slaughtered by the dozens, and soon came to know true fear. They couldn't stand against the might of this bloodstained god, and cowered back to Gensokyo with their tails between their legs."_

" _So decisive was his victory, yet so hollow too. The Lunarians offered their faintest praise, but they fell upon the ears of a man deafened by righteous fury. He spilled the blood on his blade onto the lunar surface, and cried out that this was only a portion to be repaid for the lives that didn't need to be lost."_

" _Sarajin charged the Lunar Capital, a single man...Challenging the impure gods. My heart thumped as I watched him tear through the Lunar Capital barrier in a single stroke, and immediately set his sights upon the council that had allowed this bloodshed to pass. His was a quiet rage, an ember that could barely stoke the fires of Hell to rise, and yet..."_

" _Nothing could stand in his way. The Lunarians tried to fend him off with more soldiers, but Sarajin passed them by and attacked those seated in power. The Lunarians had no choice but to fight as he cut them down faster than their eyes could react. Even though Sarajin struggled against the strongest Lunarians, he managed to wound or kill a few of them."_

" _The Lunarians were devastated and frightful of their mortality being made clear. How could a single man, this tainted mortal made of flesh, wound the gods? It seemed clear that if allowed to persist, this wave of carnage would tear apart the whole Lunar Capital and put an end to their way of life."_

" _But then like, the 'higher-ups' became total buzzkills and took Sarajin away from the Lunar Capital in the blink of an eye. I got NO idea what happened between them buuuut...When he returned to Gensokyo, his body had been cleaned of blood, only so it could be stained with something much, much more disgusting."_

" _ **Sin."**_

" _The 'higher-ups' must've not taken well to Sarajin's behavior, because when he was brought back to Gensokyo he was forced to go after the Youkai once more, killing them to return the balance to normal. The Youkai were already frightened by him, but his return rendered them incapable of moving. I can totally recall how bright the moon was that day. It made him look like something straight outta Hell. The Youkai probably thought the same."_

" _The gods, clueless to why Sarajin was there, fought him for the sake of the Youkai. But in doing so, it was their blood that was paid. Many gods fell, including Yatagarasu, Raijin, and Tenjin. Sarajin didn't say a word. I could feel the strain of his mind as he wished to apologize to every life he took, but knew that'd only be a cruel mercy. His blood-soaked blade carved his name within two history books: The Godslayer of Gensokyo, and The Butcher of Sin of the Lunar Capital."_

" _His conviction was tested, and he passed. But at what cost, would you say?"_

Hecatia pulled the moon away and left it to float by her shoulder. She crossed her arms before her chest and gave a short nod, believing that to be sufficient enough of a tale. Alex's head slacked to the right as he waved his fingers out and remarked, "That's it? Seriously?"

"Well I mean like, all tales have an end yeah?" Hecatia humored him for a bit.

Alex lazily pointed a finger at her and grumbled, "Yeah, but you sure as hell seemed to half-ass that ending. What about after he finished in Gensokyo?"

"Heh, 'hell', that's a good one..." After a brief chuckle she waved a hand out and said, "I don't know. Seriously! Besides, none of that's relevant to the big pop quiz I'm gonna spring on you now!"

"...I'm sorry wh-"

"But first I want your opinion on something. Do you believe it is possible for one person to pass on the weight of their sins to another?"

Alex found that to be the dumbest question he'd gotten all day. Though the day was young, so who knows? Perhaps Hecatia could find one dumber. Nevertheless, for now he bluntly spat the question back in her face, "Hell no! That's stupid. A person's responsible for their own sins."

"Even if reincarnation is involved?"

"...I am **not** his reincarnation." And shocker of shockers, she did, making Alex glare at her with eyelids shut barely a millimeter apart.

"Duh, of course not! But just...play along with me for a bit, k?" Hecatia turned to her side, and gazed past her shoulder at him, "What if you **were**? Again, just play along, not being serious...If you were, how would you feel about Sarajin's actions back then?"

Alex laid a hand against his hip, shook his head, and grumbled reluctantly, "I don't get it."

"Don't get what?"

He closed his eyes and waved that hand out with little care, "I never would've taken that old man to be such a stooge. Why did you play up the strength of his conviction if your story contradicted it that? He could've at least tried to fight back."

"See that's where like, you two differ, yet are totally the same," Hecatia gave him her full attention, and he didn't bother wasting breath on a 'What' or 'Why' this time as she detailed her point consicely, "You both believe in justice, but whereas he compromised in that situation, you wouldn't have."

"Compromised my ASS. Sounds to me like he was forced to kill those Youkai because those bastards weren't happy he didn't do things their way!" Alex clenched his fists, grit his teeth, and proclaimed with indignant fury, "And damn straight I wouldn't compromise! The Lunarians deserve to die!"

"Yeah, they do, but you're like, missing my point entirely," Hecatia lashed a finger towards his face and took him by surprise, "What's more important to the universe? Justice? Or balance?"

She may have been a Goddess of Hell, but this belitting attitude just couldn't fly for Alex anymore. He believed she was now actively insulting his intelligence by posing such an asinine question right to his face. Cackletta, the Sorceress, The Evil Twins, The Conclave, Terumi, Izanami, Sigma, and the Lunarians. He'd seen plenty of scumbags like them be allowed to ruin innocent lives for far too long unopposed, and it got more infuriating every time he saw it.

The world, nay, the universe, needed an Elemental Overlord. Someone who would purge evil from these worlds in the fires of destruction. And Alex knew that if he were to let his resolve ripple across the universe and strike fear into the hearts of any evil-doers still out there, he'd have to start by facing down this mighty goddess, and telling her firmly what his heart believed.

"Justice."

He stood there stiffly in place and didn't flinch at the Goddess intimidating glare that lasted for ten seconds. She retracted her hand and chuckled with her air-headedness, then remarked quietly in a pleased tone, "That's what you're believing in?"

Alex raised his gloved hand and tugged at the bottom of it, but Hecatia started waving her hands out and saying in a haste, "Whoa now! No need to show me scars! I live in Hell and even I'd like, not wanna get near those flames of yours."

Alex limply dropped his hand down, and the Goddess continued, "But like seriously? Even though your belief would put you in conflict with those 'higher-ups'? You heard what they did to poor Sarajin and yet-"

"Then they can take their self-righteousness and shove it right up their assholes," Alex swung his fist up clenched tight and declared with pride, "And I don't give a shit what that old man did in the past! I'm my own person with my own sins to carry, and I refuse to let anyone else's past define my present OR my future. I'll always stand up to bastards like the Lunarians, and to hell with what some 'higher-ups' have to say!"

Hecatia shivered, cradling her hands around her hips as the intense volume of his words made even _her_ feel excited. But she still giggled and played around the same way as before, just with a little more respect thrown the boy's way, "Oooohoho, that's like, totally awesome! Total anarchy against the universe? Sounds like tons of fun!"

Alex slowly lowered his fist and still had a hard time believing much of what Hecatia was trying to say. Even she knew her act was getting old, and got more upfront with her praise, "But seriously like, your experiences on other worlds have shaped you up to be you're own man. That's totally commendable, not gonna lie."

The boy raised his brows and stood agape as he stammered, "H-How do you..."

Hecatia twirled around onto her back and laid her hands down on her stomach, winking at him as she leaned her head back, "One of the perks of being a free spirit. You can even like, totally broaden your horizons beyond your own world!"

She closed her eyes and _tried_ to be serious, "But seriously, I'm a Goddess of _Hell_ , being orderly just ain't in my nature."

"...Anyone could have figured that out from your crappy choice of clothes." Alex couldn't help but chuckle at, even though he chose the _one_ sore point for the Goddess.

Her aura intensified to the point of freezing him more stiff than stone, but she wagged her hand out and remarked, "I'll let that one slide cause I like you Alex. Ok?"

"...Y-Yes." Alex blushed and coughed his way through the awkwardness he created. Then Hecatia spun onto her stomach and paddled her feet around while inquiring, "Sooo next question. What do you think my big secret is?"

"Big secret?"

She waggled a finger out by her face and got a little smug, "Come on now, I totally like, told you the answer already. I just wanna see the look on your face when you piece it together."

After a long sigh Alex folded his arms against his chest and set out to answer another question. She seemed to know about his journey, and possibly more about the original Overlord than she was letting on. So in his head, the most obvious answer was that she was one of the 'higher-ups'...but then her excitement at his earlier answer would make literally zero sense. But there was something else that, while a bit of a stretch, would explain a lot.

"...You're not a native of this world, are you?"

"Bingo! Got it in one! Like, someone should give you a medal!" Hecatia returned to an upright pose and levitated a little over him with her arms floating beside her hips, "I migrated here from another world on the totally opposite side of the universe!"

Alex pointed at her and waggled his finger around a little while pointing out, "Yeah, yeah that's why I'm not sensing the same kind of power from you as I got from Kanako and Suwako."

She closed her eyes, squeezed a couple fingers next to her face, and put on a cheeky grin, "Well its just a liiiiittle more complicated than that. Y'see like...You heard that whole spiel about how gods and goddesses of this world need faith to survive, yeah?"

Alex nodded and she continued, satisfied, "Well full disclosure but like, they aren't even _born_ without faith to begin with!"

He rubbed his chin and commented, "Makes sense. If enough humans believed in something hard enough, then it'd become real...At least in accordance with this world's rules."

He then stared up at her and asked, "But because **you** aren't from this world..."

She shrugged and shook her head, "I ain't fond of talking about my old home. It was a total snoozefast, fyi. Just a buncha gods and goddesses having dick waving contests with humanity getting swept up in their messes. Plus some flamboyant jerkhead with frilly green hair kicked me out of my home, how rude!"

As interesting as it'd be to learn more about her Hecatia's past, Alex knew better than to tempt her out of her playful mood, "So what you're saying is...You were born naturally, like a human?"

"Well, as human as I can get, naturally." She said with a prideful smile.

Alex thought a little more, and honestly could not believe he was about to ask this with a straight face, "Hecatia...Do you by-chance have...God ki?"

"Oh wow, nailed that one too? You've really done your research!"

Alex sank to a new low and let loose his strongest sigh yet, "...I literally guessed on a whim."

He shook his head a little and then looked the Goddess in the eyes. She smiled at him back, even as he bluntly asked her, "But now you're going to answer one of my questions, got it?"

"...You want to know what happened to Junko." Her ESP was borderline frightening, but it at least made things go at a swifter pace.

"Yeah. The last time I saw something like that, I sure as HELL wasn't on the same world those things should be on. And this isn't the first time I've seen an inhabitant from another world that has been transformed into something twisted."

Hecatia closed her eyes and every little bit of whimsy seemed to leave her body behind as she spoke plain and clear, "Have you ever heard of the Four Guardians?"

"No? ...Should I have?"

"Probably not. They're a group of four people, one from each quadrant of the universe, chosen specifically by the 'higher-ups' to be entrusted with some of their knowledge. They act as the protectors of their quadrants, but more importantly..." She opened her eyes with quite the nasty glare at Alex, "They're the last resorts in case an Elemental Overlord or Dark King were to go rogue."

Alex grumbled at the idea of a deterrent being necessary for him, but could at least blame the original Overlord for making that a necessity. Yet while the information was appreciated, it didn't seem relevant to what he asked. But she wasn't done, far from it.

"Not that you come up empty-handed being a Guardian either. The 'higher-ups' are powerful enough to grant any wish your heart desires. Heck, I totally thought I was gonna be a candidate at some point! Then I could've had as much freedom as I wanted!" She then slumped a bit and sighed, "But then I was sniped out of the position at the last possible second. It was...really weird, y'know?"

"Weird...how?"

"Like the person who took my spot in this quadrant did so on purpose. Not that I'd blame them with that enticing wish on the line but...Its not like I did anything to them to deserve the spitefulness, right?"

"You know who took your spot then?" Alex held mild intrigue, because he could already guess the obvious culprit, and Hecatia knew that and wasted no time saying their name.

"Yukari Yakumo. She's the Guardian of the North Quadrant."

Alex unconsciously bit down on his lower lip and scowled. He was so angry to be right, that he couldn't think straight for a bit. By the time he had regained the ability to do so, he was already rambling to the Goddess, "Of course its her! Not bad enough she's been making me and Shina's lives miserable, but she's a frickin' Guardian too?! If she's on the 'higher-ups' leash, how has she been allowed to get away with all this crap?!"

"She's a very, very sneaky individual. More mischief than the demons of Hell, more calculating than a supercomputer...She may be the one person who'd be able to slip past the 'higher-ups' undetected."

Alex swung his fist out and punched empty air. He just wanted so desperately to beat on something to vent his frustrations, but it didn't take long for him to realize that he just figured out _who'd_ be the perfect candidate to be his punching bag. He tightened his fist up and held it to his face, glaring aside at Hecatia before telling her, "Yukari needs to be stopped. There's no doubt in my mind now."

"Even knowing she made a wish upon becoming a Guardian?"

"Hey I'm still alive aren't I? Whatever she used that wish for, it wasn't to get her petty 'vengeance' or whatever other crap she'd been spewing this whole time."

"I wonder about that..." Hecatia hummed for a little bit and then remarked, "But as fun as it'd be to challenge her, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to bow out...For Junko's sake, y'know?"

"...I think you've gotten involved enough just telling me all this, to be frank. But thank you," Alex tucked his hands to his hips and bowed with all his might, "Its nice to finally have some goddamn clarity about who's behind all this madness."

"Hey hey, before you go getting ahead of yourself, aren't you forgetting something? Or someone? ...Or maybe a little of both?"

Alex glanced back at Shina and began to frown. It pained him to think this way immediately, but it was for the best if she wasn't put under fire by Yukari, especially after...

He remembered a bloody corpse he held in his arms, and ceased to think with a pained grimace. He shook his head and looked to Hecatia, "I...I haven't forgotten our mission. But..."

"Good. Don't forget what's most important to you. That's like, your biggest strength, yeah?" Hecatia closed her eyes then snapped her fingers out in front of her shoulder, "Oh but like, one last thing! That story that tanuki told you? There was one teeny-tiny detail she neglected to mention that I think you'll want to look into."

"...I don't think it'd be wise to have anymore detours." Alex grumbled.

"Well what a coinky dink! You'll be going to the Underground next, right?" Hecatia didn't even give him the time of day to speak, "Doesn't matter. Just go visit the Mistress of the Palace of the Earth Spirits and ask her about a battle between tengus and the Underground, and you'll see what I'm getting at here."

"...Fine, fine, I guess I can give it a shot." Alex said after a long sigh, his body having grown exhausted from all this recent input of information.

"Please and thank you! Welp, its been fun Alex Whiter, but its time for me to like, head home!" Hecatia then cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "HEY JUNKO! TIME TO BAIL!"

Junko turned her attention towards her friend and dryly remarked, "Coming, Hecatia."

And Shina let out a sigh loud enough to shatter glass.

After meeting back up with Junko, Hecatia waved a hand towards Shina and created a portal of hellfire right above her, "Pleasure meeting you both! We should totally do this again sometime!"

Shina floated by Alex and put little energy into waving back at them. Hecatia and Junko turned around and began to rise through the portal, but with a hidden smile the Goddess whispered one last thing she knew only Alex would be capable of hearing.

"Don't be ashamed. Sometimes its hard to see the strings..."

The two vanished, leaving Alex feeling this chill creeping down the back of his neck. When Shina got her face up-close to his, he had a legitimate heart attack and almost screamed.

"Soooooo...? What'd ya talk about?"

Her innocently pleasing smile and curiosity was a sight for sore eyes, and Alex felt relieved he could just hold a normal conversation with the one he loved after the madness of Junko and Hecatia.

"How about I tell you on the way to the Underground?" He offered while crossing his arms.

"Ok!" She propped upright and grinned as wide as her cheeks allowed, "Looking forward to it!"

Alex's heart felt heavy hearing her be so eager to listen to what would amount to half-truths from him. But it just wasn't her fight. He'd handle Yukari sometime soon, and secure their future together. When all that was settled...THEN he'd tell her everything. That was his silent vow to himself, and he'd swear not to break it even if it cost him his life...

And so, chaining that vow to his heart, Alex would carry that burden as him and Shina slowly flew their way back down to Gensokyo's surface, and headed for the mysterious Underground.

 _Next Time: Perception of the Third Eye_


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:**

There's been a few of these happening throughout this story, but I feel I should address this issue now.

Yes, there's been a lot of moments in recent memory where I've taken long breaks from uploading Clash of the Elements. Sometimes its just been a couple days, but this last break was almost two weeks.

I'm not going to explain why that break happened, but you do deserve an explanation for the frequency of them.

I've been working on this story for over five years now. At least as far as writing goes. I've been planning out the details of it for much, MUCH longer. But its only recently that I've been looking at my work and thinking "Hey, maybe I could be doing better?" So that's led to some periods where I just stare at the word document I type in for a while and just lose motivation to write because I feel I'm not living up to my true potential.

So I apologize to any of my loyal readers for delaying between chapters so much, and I'll try and be more consistent going forward. I mean, this story should've been done already given my usual pace, but we're instead only 2/3rds of the way through after this chapter.

I'm never going to give up this story unless I die, so don't worry about that.

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Perception from the Third Eye**

Alex and Shina flew right down towards the base of the Youkai Mountain. The second visit was nowhere close to being exciting compared to the first thanks to the thick early morning fog still hovering about. It was a pity, but Alex wasn't in much of a mood for sight-seeing after hearing Hecatia's story and then having to relay most of it to Shina.

Now he was focused simply on finding the answers the playful goddess suggested laid buried in Gensokyo's underground. The hunt for the entrance was simplified via Alex's powers, but going inside proved difficult thanks to Shina.

She paced about at the lip of the cavern entrance for ten seconds while Alex tried to listen in on her murmurs. When it seemed impossible to decipher what she was saying, he just waved his hand out and asked outright, "Ok Shina, what's the matter?"

She poked her heads up and curled her left fingers in slowly until only her thumb stuck up, then but the tip of the fingernail and spoke with a shiver of anxiety, "Are we gonna be alright down there?"

Alex laid his hand on his hip after a dull pause and shook his head, humoring her with his answer, "What, afraid of some bat guano falling in your hair?"

Her nodding vigorously after was the last thing he'd expected to see, and with a brief scoff he smiled and said, "Shina I'm just kidding..."

"Filthiness is no joke Alex!" She puffed her cheeks with a dopey pout as she swung her fists up by her chest, "I don't got a super immune system like you! What if I get infected with Typhoid fever, or the chicken pox? There's a couple Youkai down there that'd love to infect a poor pitiful young maiden like me!"

" _And where does that leave me, the after meal snack?"_ Alex cracked a joke he thought was funny in his head then pooled his efforts into reassurance, "Then stay close by. I'll ward off those ne'er do well infestations for ya."

"How close?" She asked with a glimmer of intrigue in her eyes.

"Whatever you feel's best..." The moment he gave permission, Shina latched onto his right arm tighter than a crab's claws and gave him a hug. She rubbed her face against his, and it got him to smile. Perhaps he was just getting used to these shows of affection, because his body no longer shook from her warm, gentle touch.

"Alright, better?"

"Mmm-hmm..." She relayed her serenity with a soothed hum.

The two then turned around and dropped straight into the Underground. The caverns were dark, dank, and smelly like rotten carcasses. But surprisingly, it was well lit for how spacious it was. Alex breathed a sigh of relief over not having to his free hand as a torch, and pressed on through the tunnel with Shina keeping pace.

Any Youkai would likely spring out and surprise them from the cracks and stalagmites in the ceiling, so Alex chose to keep his eyes looking up at all times.

After a few minutes of uneventful traveling, Shina brought to his attention, "Alex, are we gonna get lost?"

"Huh? No, of course not!" He spoke and shook his head confidently while continuing to stare upward. Shina tilted her head, and her drawn-out sigh could be felt bearing down his neck, "I-I mean...This place _is_ linear...I think."

"Noooot inspiring a lotta confidence here Alex..."

"...As long as I've got my powers, we'll be fine." He grumbled quietly right after. And sure enough, he was proud of himself to be right. It didn't take long after of following the trail of bedrock for the two to arrive in a much, MUCH more spacious domain.

The ceiling was a wide and large dome of smoothed over rock so devoid of light that it reminded them both of the night sky. Below them was an ancient town even bigger than the Human Village, which was covered by a pale orange light similar to what they saw at the festival the night before.

But whereas the Human Village indulged in the splendor of evening festivities once in a blue moon, this town was trapped in its own eternal parade of self-indulgence. The Youkai living down there couldn't be described as cute, or even human-like. They were the purest of beasts, the worst Gensokyo has to offer.

There were giant ogres and grotesque slobbering onis drowning their gullets with sake by the gallon load. Surrounding them were a dancing quartet of skittish imps and devilish trolls, who fed themselves the rotting meat of sinful humans and flossed their teeth with their decaying bones.

They were too self-absorbed in these pleasures of life to notice two specks haplessly pass them by overheard. Alex and Shina's faces equally twisted up in disgust, and he made a diligent effort to swiftly leave this barbaric scene behind as soon as possible.

It was baffling how this place could offer such a sharp contrast to the merriment up above, yet exist in relatively the same dimension. Trying to rub out the thoughts of those monsters partying relentlessly, Alex mumbled in relief, "Thank GOD we don't have to head down there..."

His smile was almost gleeful as he said that. But with his thoughts led astray for that moment, he quickly stumbled to regain a general idea of where they were going, and looked down at the edge of town. There was a river that ran through the center of this place that'd lead them to their true destination even further down the caves. The river was grimy, but not with the smell of blood thank god.

"Alright, I'm 90% positive we're almost there." He turned to Shina and saw her looking back towards the village, that curious, crystal clear glint her eyes suggesting she had much she wished to say.

"Penny for you thoughts?" He egged her on jokingly.

"I wonder if we're still in Gensokyo..." She pondered almost to herself.

It was a somewhat poignant line of thinking, and it got Alex realizing that they had indeed farther down the metaphorical rabbit hole than seemingly feasible, "We HAVE gone quite a ways so far...You'd think we'd have rammed into the barrier by now or something."

But upon inspecting Shina's expression closer, he noticed something off about it and murmured with half a grin, "But that's not what you mean, is it?"

"Its like we got flung into a whole other time period. Everyone's drinking and partying like Barbarians, or Vikings!" Her tone was almost akin to pity for those vicious creatures.

Alex could have jumped to a rash conclusion about the Underground Youkai, but there was one thing about their festivities that caught his attention. How, in any way, was their partying any different than what the Youkai above ground tended to do? Was it really they way they behaved that set off their disgust, or was it merely the initial shock of seeing creatures so outwardly different in appearance from the ones they'd seen so far that led to this revulsion?

Alex realizes that, perhaps, it wasn't right to so prematurely judge these kinds of Youkai, and spoke up calmly to Shina, "Probably because they've lived that long. And if living in the past's working out, then who are we to judge?"

Shina looked at him with puckered lips and a short nod, then said with a cheerful bluntness, "That's a pretty mature thought from you Alex..."

He grinned and pretended to take a bow complete with an arm crossed before his chest, "I have my moments."

With her giggling satisfactorily, the two were able to continue pressing onward. Perhaps they'd visit that little village again some other time, just for the... **Hell** , of it.

The river guided them through the remainder of the Underground to yet another strange and curious sight. There was a large Western-style mansion built into the cavern walls, seemingly signaling the end of the road for any brave travelers. The mansion was white enough to create its own light within the endless dark, while its walls were littered with breathtaking stained glass windows.

It'd be easy to assume a powerful demon lived in this mansion, given that the front doors were ten feet taller than either Alex or Shina, but while there was reason to fear the mansion's owner, their size was far from their deadliest trait.

After landing near the mansion's entrance, Alex looked down and saw Shina cuddling his arm with a blissful look in her eyes that he sadly knew he'd have to push aside for now. He gave his arm a slight waggle and said, "Alright Shina, we made it safe and sound."

She looked to him with puppy dog eyes and begged to him, "Awwwww, can't I stay just a little longer? Your arm's very, very warm!"

She nuzzled her cheek against it some more, and with a slight blush and dry cough he had no other choice but to get a little rough and pull his arm right out of her grasp. She puffed out a 'Phooey' and hung her head a bit, but otherwise went right back to smiling in the blink of an eye.

Alex gently shook his head out of slight amusement and approached the door. He raised a hand to give it a swift hard knock, then froze it in place as he expected the door to start opening like all the others he'd encountered thus far.

"Huh, weird." He accepted this normality with a dull shrug of the shoulders and a couple more knocks for good measure. The sound surely must be reaching someone, he figured, cause if he can hear his knock echoing from the other side, then either the owner's deaf, or just plain rude.

" _Probably the latter..."_ So he determined, in standard Alex Whiter fashion, that he'd respond to rudeness with his own brand of it, by breaking and entering. Of course, breaking down a door this large _miiight_ earn him the stink-eye from Shina, so he'd have to be just a teensy bit more delicate than usual.

Lucky for him, a door this big didn't require a lock and key to keep intruders out. All he had to do to open it was use his powers to grab onto one side and pull it open. For being so big and thick, the door didn't make a sound. He stood at the door's side and gestured his hands inside, and after pretending to part a dress skirt Shina passed him and headed inside.

"Wooow!" Her eyes immediately lit up in awe the moment she stepped foot inside the mansion. When Alex headed inside, he could understand _exactly_ why she felt that way.

They were greeted by a long hall that seemed to span endlessly into a void of darkness, with walls and support pillars made of crystalline marble on both sides. The floor had a checkered pattern, and was bathed beautifully in the light that somehow peered through the stain glass windows. The mansion had this soft, rosey hue that put one's mind at ease, and made anyone who'd walk inside expect a chorus of heavenly doves to greet them. Ironic, considering this place rested on the precipice of a former Hell.

There was something different about this place that Alex couldn't quite put his finger on. It wasn't dreary like Remilia's mansion, it wasn't homely like the Moriya Shrine. For the first time, he could feel as though he was walking into something ripped straight from the pages of a fairy tale. It was a palace of pure wonderment.

But as fun as it'd be to loiter around and take in the scenery, they had a palace owner to find. And given the vast nature of its halls, that might take some time. Thankfully, Shina was already getting to work on that by yelling out 'HELLO!' enthusiastically down the halls.

But he personally preferred to rely on his eyes than his voice to find their target. There was plenty of space to search around, especially as some of the arched passages led to other halls. Alex had to stick to Shina's sluggish, curious pace the whole way through, but neither of them were having any luck so far.

He had recalled the owner being a bit of a recluse, but it was almost like they were invisible. Any power they may've had would be a speck on his radar, which robbed him of an advantage. Then he smacked the side of his head and went "Duh!" upon remembering Shina's own advantage.

But as he was about to ask she thrust a finger outward and gasped in amazement, "Look Alex! Its a kitty cat!"

"A cat?" He faced where she pointed, but only ended up disapppointed. It was just a calico cat. An abnormal sight in Gensokyo, certainly, but he was more expecting something with two tails. The cut stared at them a bit with its beady pupils then raised a hind leg to lick itself.

"...Maybe this means we're close..." Alex believed.

Yet as he was about to move on, another creature of nature, a beautiful, slender deer, pranced into view from the right. Alex froze up, but Shina obviously didn't get the memo on how to handle deer.

"Haaaaaaaaah!" Her lungs deflated like a balloon full of helium to let out that squeal of delight. The deer's head sprung up in an instant towards them, and shina squeaked with both hands pressed against her cheeks, "Oh its so adorable!"

The deer suddenly jolted their way with long energetic bounces, and they swung aside to let it pass by. Shina giggled all the while, and Alex felt his heart race. The deer carried with it a pure, spring scent.

"...What the hell, are we in a zoo?" He grumbled.

"Wrawk! What the hell, are we in a zoo?" A gravelly repeat of his words came from right above. Shina closed her lips and struggled not to laugh as she pointed to the top of his head.

Alex looked up as high as he could, but couldn't see the colorful parrot that used his hair as a perch. He slowly squinted his eyes shut and asked, "Shina, please get this thing off me...?"

"Wrawk! Shina, please get this thing off me!" The parrot echoed. Shina kept giggling and told Alex, "Look, like he likes you!"

Alex closed his eyes fuly and slowly reached for the parrot while growling "Son of a bitch..." But then the parrot retaliated by bending over and pecking him between the eyes. The peck stung like a bee, but what the parrot echoed stung much, much more.

"Wrawk! Sumbitch!" It must have been satisfied with itself, as it flew off right away. Alex briefly flicked the bird the 'bird' and sighed out, "I think that's enough safari'ing for one day. We need to..."

Just his luck, the zoo tour was nowhere close to being over. As he turned forward he clammed up, for behind the unsuspecting calico a fully-grown, real-life tiger had suddenly appeared. It stood tall on all fours and continuously growled. Alex shut up for once in his life, but yet again Shina didn't get the hint and gasped excitedly, "A tiger too?! Could this day get any better?!"

"Just settle down for a moment. Who knows what'll set that beast off..." As Alex whispered that through tightly grit teeth, Shina knelt down and kneaded her fingertips into the ground while gently coercing the tiger with the luxurous sound of her voice, "C'mere kitty kitty..."

"He's not a kitty kitty!" He growled louder, watching as the tiger began to stir. It delicately raised its paws over its smaller relative and hunched its head down, eyes staring straight towards Shina. If it did something to harm Shina, Alex would react, but he really, REALLY didn't want to hurt someone's pet.

Shina stood up but leaned forward, patting her knees and continuing to treat the proud hunter of the night like a domesticated kitty, "Its ok! We won't hurt you."

Alex's right hand twitched and a few embers flickered between the fingers, but the tiger continued to advance. He had given his warning, and if the cat went any further it was all on them. Shina stood up, clapped her hands, and remained smiling and relaxed. The tiger suddenly pounced straight forward and tackled her to the ground, pinning her arms down with their front claws.

It continued to growl, and Alex could hear Shina's heart racing from where he stood. Yet in spite of all nervousness, she continued to smile at the beast. The tiger then bent its head down, and started licking her face with its big rough tongue.

"Hehehe! C-Cut it out, that tickles!" She couldn't stop laughing, and as the tiger slowly pulled its claws off her arms she rubbed the side of its head and heard it purr.

NOW, Alex had seen everything. He dully stretched his right hand out towards the tiger while telling it, "Ok you, get off my girlfriend."

The tiger turned its head and bore its fangs to growl savagely towards him, and instinctively Alex retreated. The tiger then went back to nuzzle its face against Shina's while she commented in a humored manner, "Animals must not like ya much Alex."

He crossed his arms against his chest and sighed, "The stories I could tell you about this one goat..."

He then waved a hand out and murmured, "Well I'll leave you to this...tiger?" It was hard to believe he was looking at one still, and shook his head with a sigh.

"...Riiight." He was ready to head off when he saw what he was originally expecting to the first time Shina mentioned a cat. There was a black feline with two tails, each one tipped off by a tiny red ember. The cat stared at him with pure red eyes for a few seconds and then sped towards him faster than a cheetah. Before Alex could brace himself, the cat pounced and transformed in a puff of hot smoke, forcing him to the ground with its newfound weight.

"Gotcha~!" The cat declared proudly in a normal, chipper young girl's voice. With the side of his face squished against the ground, Alex stared up to see what asshole had him pinned down.

The cat had transformed into a human-like girl with fiery red hair styled into twin braids with a black ribbon adorned at the top and bottom. She wore a lovely black decorated dress with green frills, and her fluffy cat ears remained atop her head. She stared him down with fiery dark red eyes as though he was little more than a mouse she'd happened to snatch. The cat, known as a Kasha, had a simple but fitting name.

 **Rin Kaenbyou ~ A Playful Little Hell Cat**

The cat crossed her legs and sat firmly atop his shoulders. He wasn't resisting because he liked it, but because it wasn't worth the effort to throw off a fly. With a smug smirk, the cat raised two of her right fingers in the shape of an "L" and remarked, "You thought you could casually intrude into Lady Satori's palace? Your corpse is gonna be condemned for eternity if ya keep behaving like that!"

Alex raised one hand up and remarked dryly, "Ok yes, we did intrude in your palace..."

He then spread his fingers out and brought to her attention angrily, "But its not like you've got a damn doorbell out front!"

"Door...bell?" Rin tilted her head with a finger resting upon the side of her face.

"...Never mind," Alex growled and laid his hand flat upon the ground, "We just came to visit your master, ok? If we meant any harm, do you think _that_ unsightly thing would be happening right now?"

He pointed to the tiger that was still having fun nuzzling Shina, whose smile was a little bit weaker due to how much the beast was wearing her down with its weight. She turned to Alex and pleaded quietly, "Alex, I don't think I can feel my stomach anymore."

Rin pinched a couple fingers into her mouth and let out a shrill whistle that made the tiger heel. She then wagged her hand towards herself and said, "Ok you! No more hasslin' the guest!"

The tiger slowly backed off, allowing Shina to try and stand up with legs as stiff as lumber. Rin hopped off Alex and let him get up too. Then she waved her right hand up and said with some exasperation, "Sorry about that. I thought you were up to no good. Not like we get much company down here, you know?"

"Right, cause Youkai from above aren't allowed to come down and most humans aren't stupid enough to try." Alex remarked while crossing his arms.

Rin laid her hands back close to her hips and leaned forward, peering at Alex's face with a soul-piercing stare, "You aren't a Youkai, but you smell odd for a human. Kinda got that 'fresh soul' scent I've seen on corpses numerous times."

As the Kasha's wiggling, hungering lips left him feeling uncomfortable, Alex hastily distracted her by saying, "So can we see your master now or what?"

Rin sprang up and replied merrily without hesitation, "Sure~! I'll show you to her quarters, follow me!"

She trotted down the hall with her hands snug at her hips and a merry tune whistle through her lips. As Alex and Shina followed, he created a warm, wet rag for her to clean her face off with. To Alex's relief especially, the two of them hadn't been that far off from where they needed to go. A minute's walk through a couple archways landed them and Rin in front of a smooth wooden door with a doorknob made to look like a glass rose.

Rin turned the knob and pulled the door open, greeting the person inside with a cheer of, "Lady Satori! Lady Satori! You have some visitors!"

Alex and Shina peered over the Kasha's head to take a look inside. The room had a crisply lit fireplace that carried the scent of cinnamon through the air, putting one's mind at ease. The room had a quiet atmosphere thanks to how little lighting there was, and the plentiful number of novels shelved on both sides made it clear the owner liked to read. And right now, that's simply what she did.

In the comfort of a small, cushioned chair with a silver frame, a young woman with short, messy purple hair topped by a black hairband with a small yellow heart on its left side. After flipping the page of her thousand page mystery novel with a humdrum murmur of curiousness, she leaned her head back and looked to her company with eyes half shut. But she didn't just look at them with two. There was a third red eye hovering by its lonesome from the side of her chest, attached to her body through a series of intertwining veins. Her wardrobe was simple, consisting of a blue shirt with yellow heart buttons and a pink collar, and a pink skirt with faint flowery patterns along with a pair of pink slippers. Her first name had been mentioned already, so it'd be uncouth not to include her last.

 **Satori Komeiji ~ Reclusive All-Seeing Eye**

With a docile tilt of the head, Satori laid a bookmark flat on the page and put the closed book on the little table to her left. She then stood up sluggishly as though her body was ill, and gave her company a tiny smile while cupping a hand around the top of her third eye.

"A rare vistor, and a pair of them at that..." Satori spoke slow and eloquently, then closed her normal eyes and murmured quietly, "I see, your names are Shina Aurora and Alex Whiter..."

Shina laid a hand flat before her face and gasped, "H-How did-"

"You know?" Satori finished that sentence perfectly, devoid of any ill-will in doing so. She then squinted one eye open and commented, "'Oh that's right, a satori can read minds'. That is what your heart is saying to me."

Shina got embarrassed with herself for forgetting that, and bonked herself lightly on the head. Alex shook his head and remarked, "Yeah, so try not to think unnecessary thoughts Shina. Last thing we want-"

"'That annoying satori should clam up and leave our minds alone'." Satori remarked without a hint of self-restraint. She smiled a little and poked some fun at the boy, "Then perhaps you should work on making your thoughts less...obvious to me, yes?"

" _Bitch..."_ He loudly grumbled in his mind. Satori winced for a moment, then shut her eyes and dryly muttered "No comment" as she dropped her hand down by her hip and proceeded to make her way towards the door.

The three of them stepped back so she could exit, and along the way she made a nonchalant remark of, "So you came to visit me specifically. Does it have something to do with a...Cosmos Drive? Or perhaps it has to do with-"

She peered back at Alex, who crossed his arms and counteracted his stray thoughts by specifically requesting of her in his mind, _"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention_ _ **that**_ _in front of Shina."_

Satori closed her eyes and slowly turned back, continuing on naturally in a docile manner, "Something else?"

Shina squeezed her fists by her chest and perked up to say, "Yes! We came down here searching for the Cosmos Drive! If ya can already read our minds, then-"

"Your heart has spoken for you already. I understand," Satori leaned back a bit and had an aloof, but empathetic stare towards the young Aurian, "And I will let you explore my palace to find what you need."

" _That easily?"_ Alex was vastly surprised, yet a tad annoyed after all the shenanigans leading up to this point.

"...You really shouldn't complain so readily when someone's offering their assistance, no?" Satori commented with a snide wit.

"Hmph..." He replied while laying a hand against his hip.

Satori then turned to Rin and requested with a soft, pleasant voice, "Orin, can you please escort Shina around the palace for me?"

"Absolutely Lady Satori!" Rin responded with an eager bow of the head before latching her hand around Shina's left wrist and bouncing a couple times, "Come on! Come on! Lets get searching!"

"W-Wait a second! Rin!" Shina got dragged away against her will and looked back at Alex with wide eyes of bewilderment as he waved his hand up and said, "I'll catch up with you two in a bit!"

When they were gone, he looked back at Satori, who faced him with a quiet glint of curiosity plain as day in all three of her eyes. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot a bit, grumbling over the fact that he has to repeat the obvious, "So, you already saw what I was thinking..."

"Let us go for a walk." She casually responded. Alex didn't raise an objection to that, and followed the satori in the direction opposite the way Shina went.

He kept his distance from her, as he found her presence and powers eerie to be around. She could expose any one of his deepest, darkest secrets if he wasn't careful, and he sadly recognized his own lack of discipline necessary to avoid letting his mind go astray.

She laid one hand upon her Third Eye and murmured out of a resonance towards his wayward thoughts, "There's no need to resist so vehemently. I can only dig so deep into your thoughts."

"Doesn't make it any less creepy..." Alex remarked with a bothered scoff.

"Yet you came regardless. But...I suppose you were led do to so by more than one person, weren't you?" Satori closed her eyes and could vividly project their appearances in her own head, "A tanuki, and that oddly dressed goddess..."

"You met Hecatia?" He inquired, only for the satori to shake her head and remark, "Only heard of her in passing. But I know her word is to be trusted. And yet..."

It was subtle, but Satori's faced twisted slightly in confusion as a dour expression led to her staring from the side of her face towards Alex, "She wanted you to ask me about a battle between the Underground and the tengus?"

"She said it was important for me to know," Alex could feel that something was terribly off with Satori's hesitant tone of voice, and peeked her way with a slow, inquisitive remark of, "Don't tell me you don't know what she's referring to."

"Perhaps there were struggles for territory between the two in the olden days, long before I was born...But as of recent? The Spell Card Rules would readily put an end to such insanity."

Alex opened his mind a bit for her to read his memories of the fight with Shadow Junko, but only to prove a point he had to make, "But the rules clearly aren't concrete. Can you think of any reason, any whatsoever, that would lead to the two forces going to battle?"

Satori hung her head and went deep in thought while continuing to read Alex's mind to help herself along, "If anyone were to instigate a battle, it would be the Tengu. For the Underground to be their target, one of us would have had to breech their territory..."

She hummed in a mildly disturbed manner, and remarked without the slightest hesitation, "...There **is** the possibility that I may have been responsible, but there is only one reason that I'd be willing to go above ground."

"And that is?" His attempt to egg her on only led to her shaking her head and saying with dismay, "I'm afraid I cannot say. This is mere conjecture to begin with, and above all else it is absurd to imagine it having happened in reality."

Alex scowled and lightly kicked a foot up, "Then that'd mean Hecatia tricked me."

"Which doesn't make sense, even from what little I could gauge from the kind of person she is. She gains nothing from sending you here on a wild goose chase, which can only mean one thing...And it is even more absurd than my own theory."

She lifted her head and peered him straight in the eyes, saying something that was truly ominous, "Everyone involved in that 'battle' had their memories wiped of it."

"Amnesia?" Alex gasped in shock as he couldn't even begin to imagine how many tengu and Underground Youkai could have been involved, "On that big a scale?"

It didn't seem possible that Yukari could have accomplished such a task on her own, and yet...What had happened on other worlds was enough proof that the reach of her power was not to be underestimated. He clenched his teeth tightly and jerked his head hard to the right, leaving even Satori feeling off being in the midst of such intense frustration.

"...So she's the one you feel's responsible? Yes, you presume this based on similar dealings in the past..." Satori closed her eyes and murmured deep in thought, "That Youkai...she helped the red-white maiden when she came here before."

"Are your memories resurfacing?"

"No. But something about recalling that Youkai rekindled a spark of familiarity in my heart." Satori stopped near the palace's foyer, which had a stairwell that split two ways to a second floor, and had a large stained glass canvas beaming down onto the floor.

"I have an idea. And yes, I know you're thinking 'Ugh, what now?', but it would be nice if you went along with what I have planned."

"You know, I'm really not surprised your only friends are your pets..." Alex threw some quick shade out of pity, but Satori flung it right back by making what he said come off as a good thing, "The less noise there is, the more reading I get down. I fail to see the downside."

"Now come..." She murmured while swaying an arm out and heading for the foyer, "We are going to have a quick Spell Card Duel, which I know you just _love_ to take part in."

Alex lagged behind her and dug his feet firmly into the ground, shaking his head a bit and sighing, "Ok fiiine, I'll bite. Why do you want to have a Spell Card Duel?"

"A mind cannot permanently forget something. It may become difficult to recall, but the subconscious offers permanent storage for any and all memories. Proper mental stimuli can coerce these dormant memories out into the open. So even if I expose myself to the faintest traces of that Youkai's presence in your mind..."

"You'll eventually be able to recall your lost memories," It wasn't a bad plan, Alex had to admit, but one part of it didn't make sense, "...So why the Spell Card duel again?"

"What? Do you see me as so dull and revolting a creature that the idea of me wanting to have fun is simply too foreign to comprehend?" She remarked with a rather slick smile, having read the boy's mind like an open book.

He leaned back with a sharp 'Tsk!' and then swung his right arm out, his heart igniting with a drive to do battle, "Whatever Satori. I'll gladly accept your challenge s'long as you don't slack off!"

Satori reached the foot of the staircase and turned around, clasping her third eye as an intense gleam was reflected in all of her eyes. A silent wind lifted her body off the ground, and she rested her free arm out with a tiny smile on her face, "My Third Eye reads all that the heart lays bare. Secrets are like the pages of a book to me. Even you cannot hide your darkest secrets from me, young Elemental Overlord."

"Well that's not what we're focusing on." Alex said as he assumed his battle stance.

"Then do your part and show me what it is I need to see," Satori held onto her Third Eye and concentrated deeply on Alex's mind, "Hmmm, you've been working on a Spell Card in your head?"

"U-Ummm..." He couldn't outright admit that she was right, even if she already knew. Somehow, warming up to the idea of Spell Card Duels was just that embarrassing for him.

"Then perhaps I shall make that envisioned Danmaku come to life," She projected a Spell Card from her Third Eye and cupped her hands around it, saying the name that Alex had planned for it, "Reflection of the Inner Soul 'Seven Elemental Purge'."

The Spell Card shattered, and quickly was Satori surrounded by three pinwheels made of fire, lightning and ice. The ice one resembled a snowflake, the fire one resembled a firework sprinkler, and the lightning one resembled just a normal pinwheel. Each pinwheel spun around and sent flurries of their respective element out in many condensed waves spread out to cover multiple directions.

The foyer was wide open enough to dodge around them at first, but he knew that there was more troublesome additions on the way. Drops of rain slowly pittered from above, and vines stretched inward from both sides. Flowers grew from the vines and spread Danmaku out in fuzzy clouds made to look like pollen. It didn't seem too bad, and in his honest opinion he had created a pretty fair Spell Card so far.

It was just so bizarre to have someone else utilizing his elemental prowess like this. He hadn't faced anyone like that since-

"An evil clone? What a fascinating twist on your tale." Satori rudely blurted out, and in swift, bitter retaliation Alex drowned her mind with visions of the one she should be focusing on.

A few of the fire, electricity and ice Danmaku scraped against his body as he was backing off from the water and grass. The vines retracted momentarily and opened the way for Alex to charge forth and pound the air with close range blasts of fire upon Satori. She flinched a little but didn't lose focus on her goal.

Alex flipped back, twisting and turning between the Danmaku waves until he landed safely far away from the onslaught. Then the ground trembled, and a stalactite erupted beneath his feet. He leapt to the right at the last second, but there wasn't just one of those to be concerned about. A trail of stalactites tracked him down wherever he hopped off to, making for a more difficult time when it came to dodging.

Alex had fleet feet to be sure, but even this proved to be a bit much. Satori was the one who spoke his thoughts plain as day, "Yes, this may be a little unfair."

"Well! Glad I could be a guinea pig for my own damn card!" Alex kept on the run and decided 'Screw it!' on occasion just to flick some fireballs Satori's way.

"For being called a 'Seven Elemental Purge', you appear to be missing the wind." Satori commented, acting more as a critic than the silent observer he was hoping she'd be.

"Wind's ethereal, you can't make Danmaku outta that!" Alex remarked before rolling between a pair of stagnant stalactites and thrusting his hands out to fire two large lightning bolts. He then got right up and flipped back away from the next rising stalactite, firing a few fireballs as he spun in mid-air.

The moment he landed he zipped forward and leapt over the incoming stalactite, squeezing tightly between many waves of bullets while clasping his palms together to send a very large fireball at Satori. He fell into a roll forward and then made a long leap back, rapid-firing compressed air by the dozen load.

His right pant leg snagged on a rising stalactite and tripped him into a thick swarm of Danmaku, wearing him down quite a bit. He stood up and felt his heart race as he escaped the next stalactite in his part, followed by him weaving between the rain and pollen to once more approach Satori.

"Having any luck so far?!" He demanded to know.

Satori shook her head and critiqued him bluntly, "You're not focusing hard enough. Is our duel to blame?"

"Doubt it!" He fiercely denied while keeping up the pressure with his own attacks. After a few more seconds of this, the Spell Card suddenly broke, much to Alex's surprise.

" _Seriously? How is a card I made that weak...?"_ He slumped and shook his head, then looked up at Satori, who was mulling something over with herself.

"There's gotta be a better way to do this." He bemoaned with his hands laid aloof.

"The problem is that your mind wanders too much, even outside of battle. But...I think there is a way to fix that," She raised her Third Eye and from it came a wavy, psychadellic pulse of energy, "Just stare into my Third Eye and I shall dig deep into your psyche, and force the proper memories to surface."

"W-Wait, I don't think that's a good ide...a..." Alex quieted down for a few seconds, his pupils losing that flicker of life and making his eyes appear completely blank. His mouth hung agape as Satori did what was necessary to pry the proper thoughts free.

But as she reached into his deeper subconscious, she saw something, _someone_ , staring her back. It tickled her mind with a slightly unhinged giggle, and a jolt up her spine froze her body stiff. Alex snapped back to reality shaking his head, then immediately lashed out at Satori in anger, "Hey hey! None of that hypnotism shit! I mean-"

Yet upon looking at the satori, she saw that all her eyes had turned completely blank, like her soul vacated her body and left a puppet corpse suspended eeriely in the air. Her hands slowly magnetized to her Third Eye as her body released a heart-pounding pulse of raw power that Alex recalled with dread.

He leaned back and bit his teeth into a scowl, murmuring internally with the freedom of his mind restored, _"That's...that's not a good sign..."_

From her Third Eye, Satori created a Spell Card. But there was no pretense of hope or imagination in this Spell Card, which was as black as the blackest depths of space. Destruction, despair, fear, that is the power that dominated this Spell Card. The intensity of the negativity it represented set the card ablaze between her cupped hands, with her feeling no worse for the wear.

As though it was possible for her to sound even more monotone, Satori spoke the name of this forbidden card, "Visions of Turmoil 'Hellfire of Destruction'..."

A powerful blast of flames burst forth from in front of Satori and struck Alex head-on, forcing him back ten feet. Smoke lingered on his body for a bit, and a scorch mark was formed on the ground even though that was clearly meant to be Danmaku. Before he could begin to comprehend what was happening, chaos unraveled before his very eyes as more spurts of equally powerful flames erupted all-around Satori and brought destruction and devastation to the palace.

Pillars of stone were broken like rice paper, the beautiful stained glass portrait shattered to dust, and the floors were scorched beyond feasible recognition. Alex evaded the fire blasts, able to keep up with their random nature due to the fact that he'd fired many attacks similar to this in the past. The intent was not to win a Spell Card Duel, but to raise as much Hell as physically possible. This was not Satori's doing, and it sure as heck wasn't his...In some manner of speaking.

Pure unrelenting destruction signified one answer, and that was that Satori had accidentally made contact with his other personality buried deep within and her mind has temporarily broken because of it. Alex cursed himself for letting that happen, and knew he had to make this right before the whole entire palace collapsed on top of them.

Blasts of flame were intersped with rings of vicious hellfire capable of wiping out entire cities in an instant. Disobeying the rules they may have been, but this Danmaku still operated under the assumption that they were in the middle of a duel. Alex couldn't use his powers to dispel them, he just had to charge straight at Satori and break this chaotic card through sheer brute force.

But as he leapt from the ground and rocketed her way, a blast of flame struck him with all its might and forced him back to where he started, leaving the front of his body singed as though he'd just gotten out of an oven. He clenched his fists, bit his teeth down, and charged forward again without a second's hesitation. The fire tried to fend him off, but he just kept going at it unrelenting in his determination.

"You're not going to ruin anymore lives, you blasted other self!" He buckled down against the might of his own power, straining every muscle in his body to keep the flames from forcing him away. They came in such great a number that it seemed as though breaking through would prove impossible.

But if there was one thing Alex had defined his life by, it was defying the impossible, even when it came to himself. It was that same will of mind that Satori needed at this very moment, and Alex was sure as hell not going to let her succumb from a lack of one.

Even through the flames of chaos, Alex could perceive the pain the satori was suffering. Her body shook, and a trickle of blood was coming from her left nostril. Being forced to command this power was something she would have never been prepared for even after a thousand years of practice. It was in her nature to be a satori and nothing else. An annoying, snooping satori, but a satori nonetheless.

It was a cursed fate to be so detached from others due to one's birthright, but that didn't mean she deserved to suffer for that curse. Alex knew that in her heart there was a genuine love for both her pets, and for a little sister whose mind she could no longer read.

So Alex kept charging towards the flames of destruction, defying his own cursed fate in the process. He smashed every pound of his body into the flames and continued to slowly make progress towards the satori. When he was but inches away, he reached both his hands out and grabbed onto her shoulders. The flames continued to rebel against his advances, pressuring his body with forces rivaling the propulsion of a rocket ship.

Yet with his lips flapping about and his face feeling ready to peel off, he leaned his head back in, and roared loudly at the satori, "Wake...UP!"

He smashed his forehead into hers, and with a thunderous break the fragile Spell Card stopped instantly. Her eyes widened with a blanketed stare of confusion, and as Alex suffered the last recoil the Spell Card had to offer she began to collapse towards the ground.

He shook his head and bolted to her aid, using a hand to gently grab the back of her head and keep it from colliding with the broken, craggy staircase. She was then left unconscious for a few seconds as he carried her down to the somewhat smoother floor.

But as she woke up, her immediate course of action was to rub her head and groan quietly, "...What was that all about?"

"You might've dug a little _too_ deep into my head there." Alex chose to be at least a little honest. She deserved that much.

She shook her head and got up after he let go. Touching her Third Eye, she could feel the lingering sentiment of anger inside Alex's head and questioned him thusly, "What _was_ that thing...?"

"Do you really want to get into that now?" His firm tone of voice combined with a gesture towards the destruction the Spell Card caused during its brief stint dissuaded any further prodding from Satori. She silently shook her head and then closed her eyes, trying to brush the matter off with a swift change in subject matter.

"...It was a rather roundabout way of going about it, but...I think I'm starting to remember what happened."

Alex knew he shouldn't be happy that it took a traumatic shock to rattle those forgotten memories loose, but hey, he'll take what he can get at this point. But as she was about to open her mouth regarding those memories, fate, of course, had to kick him in the nads one more time.

" _SHRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"_

A powerfully shrill shriek echoed up from deep, deep underground. It was a shriek of incredibly power, that rattled even the stoic Satori to her core. She began to sweat, and gripped her Third Eye tightly.

Alex looked around, his eardrums throbbing in pain, and exclaimed in utter disbelief, "What the HELL was that?!"

"I-I don't know, but it sounded like it came from..." Satori's eyes widened to the point of bulging out of her sockets, and she immediately dashed for the hallway while proclaiming frantically, "Alex Whiter! Come with me, quickly!"

"H-Hey!" Alex pursued after her, a part of him beginning to worry about Shina's well-being as he inquired, "Where are we going?!"

"...To the Hell of Blazing Fires." Hearing that name spoken from a woman with skin now more pale than snow left a feeling of dread welling up inside Alex's stomach. He knew who was down there, and if that shriek belonged to them...Then once more, Yukari had dug her claws deep into another hapless victim.

 _Next Time: Nuclear Duo, Orin and Okuu_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: The Revival of Nuclear Fusion**

 _Some mintues ago..._

After Rin had unglued herself from Shina's wrist, the two set out to scour the entire palace head-to-toe for any signs of the Cosmos Drive. The Kasha had an inquisitive heart befitting her somewhat feline nature, and she peppered Shina with a barrage of questions along the way.

It was pretty much harmless to Shina to answer any of them, but she did feel a little dizzy in the head from the sheer frequency they came out at. But otherwise, she thought was being very helpful.

Shina had the compliment Satori's discipline of the Kasha, as she displayed an iron-clad focus on the task her master had assigned. With her seniority over the other the pets, Rin could easily rally them to assist, and understand their animalistic cries whereas Shina could not.

The birds combed the ceiling, the cats hung close to the ground, and the bigger beasts dashed through the halls like they were struck with spring fever. Shina found it was incredible to watch all these animals, who would normally antagonize one another, work together in perfect harmony.

It motivated her to do her best as well, and she ended up double-checking some of the spots the pets scanned just briefly. She took out the artifact and held it aloft beside her face the whole time, hoping to receive a response. But none would ever come.

It was a big palace to be sure, but by working together with Satori's pets the size felt no bigger than her own home. After five minutes of searching, however, Shina had no choice but to stop and catch her breath.

"Whew..." She emptied her lungs with a sigh and slumped against a pillar no different from the rest. While laying a hand atop her chest, she stared at the ceiling, and let the artifact droop by her hip.

"Golly, if the Cosmos Drive was alive it'd be the hide 'n seek champion of the universe!" She could try and say that with a smile, but it was hard to ignore how tired she was of playing cat and mouse. As she let out another humdrum sigh, Rin shuffled on by, having been using her cat form to cover ground faster.

A plethora of animals ran around behind Rin as she turned back into a human and leaned closer to Shina with a cheerful tone, "Are you ok? You're starting to look like a ghost!"

Shina couldn't look dour in front of such a cute and eager cat, and after beaming her a weak smile she said, "On I'm fine Rin! Ya've tried yer best, but I just think we're at a dead end 'ere."

"Are you sure? Maybe we haven't tried everything!" Rin replied optimistically.

Shina lifted the artifact held upside-down before her chest and puckered her lips a little, "I dunno. I thought this woulda reacted when we got, but its more dead than disco."

"Dice...co?" Rin puzzled herself with a wiggly grin and a tilt of the head.

Shina peeke her head up and smiled wider. "A cat's still a cat" She thought before setting out to answer her question excitedly, "Yeah! Disco's a kinda dance where a buncha people dress funny and act silly under strobe lights and this sparkly silver ball!"

"Wow you're right, no wonder its dead. Every practioner must've died of embarrassment." Rin gave her critique with the sharp-tongue of a snake, getting a laugh out of Shina.

Rin then asked her, "Well didja try the Fallen Capital? Ya had to've passed it by to get here!"

"Someone above ground told us to come right here, so I thiiiink they mighta known not to bother there?" Shina replied with a shaky certainty in her voice.

"Hmm..." Rin closed her eyes and laid her hands down by her hips, only raising one with a shrill 'Mrrreeoow!' as she was struck with inspiration.

"There's one other place we can check! And its really close by to boot!"

"The Hell of Blazing Fires?" Shina answered prematurely.

"The Hell of Blazing Fi-" Rin bit her tongue and stared blankly towards Shina, "Can you read minds like Lady Satory?!"

Shina covered her tensely awkward smile with the artifact and chuckled, "Oh no no no! I just ummm...heard of it from that person I mentioned before! Yeah!"

Rin was none the wiser to the fact she was being fooled, but Shina still playfully bopped herself twice on the head as punishment for this deceit. Chipperly grinning, Rin Declared, "Follow me then! I'll show ya where it is!"

They traveled further north into the palace, arriving at a place Shina had only seen previously in passing, the courtyard. Once more the atmosphere changed to something unbecoming of a former Hell. The air was clean like a garden's, with a ceiling as bright and relaxed as the summer's sky. Rose bushes surrounded the center of the courtyard, containing a marble fountain flowing with pure, sparkling water.

There was just one stone bench close to it, no doubt Satori's choice spot to unwind and read, while in front of the fountain was this big gaping hole leading even further Underground.

Rin hustyled right over to it and hunched over without a hint of fear as she hollered down, "Heeeey Reiuuujii!"

As Shina approached the chasm, it responded with the echoing howls of a thousand dead souls and a teensy bit of crackling flames. Shina's eyes widened on their own as she slowly reeled back in and looked to Rin, who shrugged and said, "Huh, she must still be working."

She cupped her heads around her mouth and raised her voice just a feeew decibels higher, "REIUUUJI!"

Once Shina could no longer feel her ears ringing, she peered into the chasm and heard the wails of the dead yell back. With a cols shiver creeping across bumpy skin, she turned to Rin and politely asked, "What's going on down there?"

"Oh, its just a furnace." Rin said, naturally unfazed.

Shina leaned in and took a whiff of that ghastly, putried smell seeping up in a draft. Then she pinched her nostrils shut in revulsion and thought _"That's enougha that"_ before humoring the Kasha with, "Whatcha cooking? Rubber with a side of pig grease?"

"Only the most freshly rot corpses and finest vengeful spirits can satisfy these flames." She replied with a pleasuribly cheeky smirk born from a love of that foul fragrance.

Shina chuckled dryly for a bit as she stepped away from the chasm and proceeded to ask, "I'm guessing charcoal's too hard to come by?"

"Hehehe, my friend works really hard down there for Lady Satory, "Rin said, unintentionally blowing off Shina's joke, "I cart the corpses, she does the cooking, and the flames of Hell remain satisfied!"

"Sounds like a lotta down n' dirty work for two pets to tackle on their own." Shina said with mild concern.

"Not at all!" Rin proclaimed with a spring in her step as she spun around and leaned forward, laying one hand by her face to whisper, "This is our little secret but...My friend's hosting the soul of the goddess Yatagarasu!"

"Yatagarasu?!" Even knowing that fact beforehand, Shina could not stop herself from gasping in awe.

Rin smiled satisfactorily and heaped praise upon her friend, "Yep! She's a bit of a scatterbrain, but there's no one else Lady Satori trusts to manage the place!"

"Satori must reward ya both handsomely for yer help."

"She pets us, feeds us and loves us, and that's good enough for me!"

Shina found herself feeling a tad jealous of the simplicity of the Kasha's heart. Even though she's more evolved than the rest of her kin, Rin could still succumb to a feline's base desires.

"Coooo!" The humble sound of a small bird grabbed the two's attention back towards the chasm, from which a strange raven had just fluttered to the top of. Shina saw a hint of blue in the raven's wings that reminded her of the intense flames of a stove top, and upon their feathery chest was a docile open red eye with a tall, piercing pupil.

Though abnormal, the raven posed no threat beyond the curious vibes towards her Shina sensed from it. Rin hustled back to the edge of the chasm and called out, "There you are Okuu!"

The raven flew closer as Rin retreated, then with a puff of smoke transformed much like she could. She became a tall, slender girl with messy, long dark brown hair. Her strange eye had transferred to the chest of her white short sleeved shirt, which was above a short green skirt. On her back was a cool looking white cape with a starry pattern on the inside, the whole thing kept aloft by her raven black wings. Attached to her right arm was an orange device reminiscent of a nuclear control rod, while around her right foot was congealed matter, a mass of cooled radioactive material and glass. Finally, around her left ankle were some orbiting electrons. Though Rin referred to the girl by her pet name, her real name was something Shina thought was a little more awesome.

 **Utsuho Reiuji ~ Raven of the Nuclear Flames**

"Orin! Hi! What are you doing here?" Utsuho looked so much more mature than her friend, and perhaps a little badass to boot. But what Shina heard from the hell raven's mouth was a ditzy voice that flipped that awesome imagery so completely on its head that she experienced a brutal mental whiplash.

"Ghuuh...Gluuuh?" Shina's head slumped back, while drool slowly formed in her agape mouth.

"I was calling for you, you birdbrain!" Rin said in a playful tone.

Utsuho eagerly deduced from this that, "Did Lady Satori need me?"

"Not at all. This visitor of ours, she-" Rin looked upin Shina's flabbergasted face and let out a dry hum of, "Uhh..."

Utsuho prodded Shina's chest a few times and shamelessly commented, "Orin, I think something's wrong with this corpse!"

"She's not a corpse Okuu...At least, she wasn't a minute ago." Rin grabbed Shina's hip and gave it a gentle shake, while her friend took the more direct route.

"Knock knock, anyone home?" Utsuho bonked Shina twice on the head with her rod. It was successful in snapping her back to reality, but also made her start tipping over.

"Who-WHOA!" Shina madly flailed her arms to regain balance in seconds, and was immediately face-to-face with Utsuho. The raven saluted with her rod while saying, "I'm glad you're not a corpse strange person!"

The sheer tonal dissonance between Utsuho's appearance and voice still kept Shina's mind in a daze, but she knew she's just have to get over herself. At least Utsuho still looked cute.

The raven batted her eyelids and inquired, "Ummm...who are you supposed to be?"

"Shina, Shina-" Midway through her habitual introducation, Shina recognized it'd be too hard a name for Utsuho to recall and instead told her, "Uhh, just call me a friend of yer master's!"

"Ok!" Utsuho responded so quickly that it was doubtful Shina's words registered.

Rin then helped Shina prop the artifact up to her friend's face while explaining, "See this Okuu? I want you to concentrate reeeeally hard on it and tell us if you've seen any indents similar to it down below."

Utsuho stared wide-eyed at the stone, drawn in by its mythical nature. Shina leaned closer to Rin and whispered in her ear, "Ya sure about this?"

Utsuho hummed in a strainful manner, as though overclocking her brain. Yet even in the wake of Shina's worries, Rin vouced for her friend's competence this time, "She worked long enough down there. She'll know, I swear it!"

The raven pulled back and shook her head with a somewhat sorrowful gaze, "I'm sorry, I've never seen anything like that."

Shina sighed, then slowly brought the artifact back and rewarded Utsuho's efforts with a smile, "Well thanks for trying anyways."

But she was getting worried. There were still two locations worth checking according to Mamizou: The Ministry of Right and Wrong and the Netherworld. The Cosmos Drive had to be in either place, yet was it possible that it wasn't? No, no, not at all. The artifact wouldn't lie. Shina knew she needed to remain positive at all times, especially now.

"Earth to Shina. Hello? Shina?" Rin's antsy pestering grabbed her attention instantly.

"What is it Rin?" She replied with her usual pep.

"Since your friend's still busy, why don't you play with us? Pretty please?" Rin pleaded with her hands clasped before her chest.

Shina looked back into the palace and wondered what was taking Alex so long. Nothing felt off, perse, but Satori didn't strike her as someone Alex'd get along with. Though for a moment, Shina wondered if that was a sleight against Satori, or Alex.

She then spun back towards Rin and proclaimed, "Sure! I'll gladly play with ya both for a bit!"

"You hear that Okuu? We got a play mate!"

Utsuho raised her rod up high and cried out much like how a child opening a present would, "Hooray!"

" _Hmmm...Now where do I begin?"_ Shina wracked her brain hard for knowledge on animals, _"Maybe birds and cat both like these?"_

She whipped her right hand around a bit and created a ball of aura. Rin stared at it with eyes full of confusion, devoid of even the slightest enticement. Shina threw it out and while both pets watched it fly and fall, there wasn't a single spark of life in their eyes.

Shina rubbed her chin while Rin stared at her and went, "Ummm..."

" _Guess that's a no-go...Maybe string'll do it?"_ Shina dangled a hand between the two and created a long piece of string. She even felt proud having perfectly emulated its fuzziness. Utsuho's eyes lit up and she reached out and nibbled on it with her lips, shocking Rin.

"Thiiiis...wasn't what I meant." Rin hated to be the rain on the parade, so to speak, but it was the type of attitude Shina needed to see to get the point.

"Oooh...You meant a Spell Card Duel, didn't ya?" Shina dispelled the string, leaving Utsuho hanging with a look of bewilderment for a bit.

"Yeah! Me and Okuu versus you! Unless...you think you can't handle us?" Rin got a little smug glint in her eyes, yet Shina responded with greater confidence, "Ain't my first rodeo facing two tough cookies by myself!"

"Great! So we don't disturb Lady Satori, why don't we go play in the Hell of Blazing Fires?"

Shina was mildly concerned there, "Ummm...isn't that dangerous for a human?"

"Not at all! The only danger is falling into the magma when you're alive! Cause if you do for too long..." Rin's eyes and tone turned grim, "Then your soul will be damned for an eternity with no hope of passing on, no matter how nice you were."

Shina felt her heart momentarily faint. Rin returned to being all sunshine and rainbows scarily fast and said to her wayward thinking friend, "Come on Okuu! I'll race you down there!"

"I won't lose to you Orin!" Utsuho declared with a fiery spirit in every word she spoke, and in a flash the two set off down the chasm. Feeling her own competitive spirit rising, Shina chased right after them with a smile.

The chasm remained dark for only a few seconds. The flames of the hellscape far below Gensokyo greeted her first with its heat, then with its light, which felt unnatural in spite of it reminding her of a sunset's pristine glow. The rougher temperatures soon forced her to coat her body in a thin layer of aura for protection.

After a slight bend in the tunnel, she shunted straight out towards the afforementioned Hell of Blazing Fires. The flames of Hell were so blistering hot it turned the normally brown cavern walls dark red, and that nasty smell from before still lingered in the air and made Shina feel revulsed.

She took a look around as she slowly made her way to the center of the cavern. This was the very end of the Underground, the place where the condemned are burned down for fuel. _"Hard to believe this place is run by such friendly folk..."_ Shina thought as she could feel faint traces of those condemned souls in the surrounding air, making her body quiver on its own.

She found Utsuho and Rin in the center of the room, the Kasha slumped over while the raven danced in triumph. Once Shina was close by, however, they turned their attention towards her with the flames of battle fired up in their pupils.

Rin bore a fang for the first time, while Utsuho cast aside her childish demeanor and spread her magnificent cape with just a swing of the hand. Rin chuckled excitedly as she turned slightly to her friend and told her, "Been a long time since we got to let loose and have fun like this Okuu!"

"Lady Satori doesn't want us to go all-out against other people, even in Danmaku. But you look tough enough to handle us, stranger!" Utsuho grinned from cheek-to-cheek as her nuclear control rod activated, becoming covered in strange techno lines.

Shina could feel sweat forming on her forehead as she tensely closed her eyes and insisted, "L-Lets not go getting carried away now!"

The two giggled with a mix of innocence and mischievousness, then snuggled close together with an arm held on each other's backs, and pointed the free one straight towards Shina. Rin then declared without a care in the world, "Its not any fun if you hold back!"

"Yeah! We're gonna show you our very best!" Utsuho added on with such perfect timing that it was like a complete sentence had been spoken by a single person.

The two then pulled out a combined Spell Card between them, and Shina slapped down her Gunslinger Drive. As they crushed the card together, she summoned her pistols and prepared for whatever the two had coming.

"Corpse Burning 'Funeral Pyre of Nuclear Flames'!"

With their voices echoing amongst the roaring flames below, Rin hopped onto Utsuho's shoulders as the raven summoned forth her Danmaku. She held nothing back, and threw out large bright red orbs filled with solar energy in all directions. Each orb was ten times bigger than Shina, and overwhelmed her eyes at first with their sheer luminosity.

She gasped and peeled away lightning fast, her gaze drawn in by their mystifying power. There was plenty of space to move around in, but for the impressive size the solar orbs boasted they also had the speed to match hers. Shina had to move constantly, exploiting the gaps between the orbs wherever she could find them.

Yet upon approaching them, Shina recognized a force dragging her in closer. The orbs had their own gravitational fields, powerful ones at that! She had to boost her speed with her rocket boots to escape their pull, then immediately grind to a halt before she barreled into the many blue danmaku bullets flying about.

Rin's contribution became evident soon after, as through the brightened atmosphere Shina could squint and see rings of bright flaming skulls zooming out from the center of the arena. They spread out between Utsuho's attacks, too ethereal to succumb to gravity. Each skull broke down and became winding waves of sharp red crystal Danmaku, adding greatly to this chaotic atmosphere.

As with Mokou and Kaguya, and Byakuren and Miko, the two pets complimented each other's strengths and covered for their weaknesses. Utsuho's overwhelming power had a simple pattern to avoid, but Rin slipped her super fast Danmaku in-between the gaps.

Shina had to endure quite a bit of Danmaku before she even had a chance to get either pet in her crosshairs. It was all about regulating her bursts of speed along with quick paced attacks when it came to this particular Spell Card. There was no time to waste on fighting raw firepower with raw firepower, it'd just lead to her defeat.

She really didn't need to win, she knew that, so once more she had to blame Alex's overcompetitive nature for rubbing off on her. After surviving Rin's first barrage, Shina floated upright and sent many bullets forth from her SMGs, squeezing them between Utsuho's orbs to hit their master square in the chest.

The raven braced herself firmly in the air and kept firing more Danmaku off, grinning all the while. Rin merrily spread the souls she worked with around like confetti, supporting her best friend as best she could. A couple of those rings surrounded Shina, forcing her to fly back and weave around the bullets that came after.

This then put her right around one of Utsuho's orbs, where the raven's last trick came to light, albeit by pure accident. The gravitional force surrounding the orbs drew the scattered blue Danmaku in and turned them into rings similar to those around Saturn.

" _That's so cool!"_ Shina's eyes lit up with the sparkle of amazement for just that moment before she glided around the orb, ring of Danmaku and all, and took some quick pot-shots at the danger duo. Then she weaved to the right through some of Rin's bullets and got an idea.

Knowing what Utsuho's Danmaku was capable of, Shina fired her bullets out at a faster speed, sacrificing some of their power to take advantage of the gravitational pull to slingshot them over the orbs and into her opponents. She briefly clicked her tongue and muttered 'Niiice' before the tight situation forced her on the move.

Keeping pace with everything happening on the battlefield was now simply a matter of knowing when to shoot and when to move. Of course, that advice could really be applied to all Danmaku battles, so Shina felt a little silly having to remind herself of that by now. But there was a slight difference in this battle, and that was the flames raging below.

Her aura offered protection from the heat to a certain degree, but prolonged exposure would wear her down eventually. Eventually could mean a few minutes or an hour, Shina wasn't quite certain as she'd never been exposed to this much heat before, even around Alex.

Shina flew circular around the battlefield and dove and rose around the Danmaku, exposing the gaps to fire bullets. It was hard to resist the urge not to use heavier weapons, but she needed the speed more than power. She also found a safe zone in the area directly in the center between her opponents and the walls, and stuck to it.

Eventually, by sticking to this pattern of attack and defense, Shina's bullets wore down the two's defenses and took down the Spell Card. The explosion of Danmaku was particularly loud this time, thanks in part to Utsuho's arsenal.

" _Whew! Just made it!"_ Shina swiped the thin veil of sweat from her forehead and then shook her arms out. She didn't feel too warn down so far, a stark contrast to when she first started Danmaku'ing. She floated back in front of her opponent's line of sight, where Rin had dismounted from Utsuho to float beside her again.

"You're pretty good!" Rin took in a deep breath and let it out somewhat tiredly, "Whew...! Haven't worked myself that hard since the last time the shrine maiden was down here! How ya holding up Okuu?"

The raven had a ferocious grin, and her body was radiating with a slow burning fire. Rin tilted her head and felt a slight bit of concern, "Okuu? ...You ok?"

Utsuho raised her left hand up towards Shina, pretending she was standing on her palm, then crushed her fingers tight into a fist and growled energetically, "She's really strong! Just being around her makes me wanna go all-out Orin!"

Rin puffed out a quick sigh and shook her head, "Guess I should just leave this to you then?"

Utsuho fervently nodded her head with a hum, then spread her wings out as wide as they'd go, the imagery of space inside her cape beginning to move independent of the rest of the cape. Rin grinned and then wagged a finger to gently warn her friend, "Don't get crazy like last time Okuu! I don't wanna have to cart her deep-fried corpse into the furnace!"

"Uh-huh!" Utsuho slanted her brows as the fire surrounding her intensfied. Rin felt the sweat building up in her clothes and scurried off, stopping besides Shina to tell her, "You're in for a tough time now! Good luck!"

Shina was too busy staring at the hell raven to hear Rin run on by. Utsuho's power was spiking wildly, and it didn't seem normal to Shina. But at the same time, had she ever really gotten to examine the aura of a goddess at this point? Perhaps she was just overthinking things...

At least Utsuho was now living up to being the kind of badass Shina thought she'd be. The confident posture and radiant power was a perfect fit with her cape and wings. She was itching for the fight of her life, and Shina had planned to give it to her.

Utsuho's aura churned out flames similar to flares off the sun's surface as she summoned a sparkling Spell Card before her chest and pressed her nuclear control rod against it.

"Last Word! Blazing Cosmos ~Solar Overdrive!"

Utsuho blasted the Spell Card apart with a heavy exertion of her power, which sent out a shockwave powerful enough to push Shina back. Klaxons then blared across the battlefield, a warning call of apocalyptic proportions. When combined with the nuclear warning symbol surrounding Utsuho's body, it wouldn't be wrong to assume the worst.

But this was simply the manifestation of Utsuho's serious side. She grit her teeth and rose higher up to meet Shina eye-to-eye as equals, then swung her left hand out and sent forth dozens upon dozens of those red solar orbs from before.

Shina evaded them quickly, feeling the same gravitational pull as before. But the orbs were serving a different purpose this time. They stuck to the perimeter of the Blazing Hell like an omnipresent wall and diminished the space that Shina could move.

Radiating with the light of the sun high in the sky on a summer's day, the orbs blinded Shina from even the briefest glance and tried to pull her in closer. She rocketed forward with her boots, only to realized with a gasp of awe just how little Utsuho was pulling her punches.

The hell raven surrounded herself in a cage of spread-out miniature suns, each one a perfect replica of the human perception of the celestial body hovering light years away from Earth. Utsuho flapped her wings and with each beat sent forth solar flares from these suns to cover the expanse her orbs had failed to seal off.

Shina flipped sideways and tightly pushed between two of the flares. Even as Danmaku, they looked and felt so real that it was rather hair-raising. With her skin riddled with goosegumps and her heart racing faster than a scared antelope, Shina took aim at Utsuho and started off with a hefty barrage of bullets.

The suns were smaller than the orbs, thus removing the need to worry about their gravity. The flares were more troublesome than first anticipated, for when they reached the orbs they broke apart into red-white hot Danmaku that rotated around them and were flung back to Shina at twice their normal speed.

She was caught by surprise when they hit her back, and the moment she turned around to see them one of the flares came dangerously close to striking her. She flipped over it in the nick of time and pointed her guns forward while floating upside-down, taking dozens of shots before other flares forced her to bolt ten feet down to escape.

She zipped back, leaning as another flare flew her way. A couple of the bullets hit her from the return back, but she shrugged them off and kept flying quickly to the right. Without Rin helping out, Shina was definitely struggling with her urges to use more powerful weaponry. It was like there was this fuzzy itch in her trigger finger that she just simply couldn't scratch.

...And this time, she let her heart be her guide.

Sharply coming to a stop between a pair of passing by flares, Shina cocked her arms up and summoned a pair of rocket launchers. Gritting her teeth with a feeling of enjoyment pleasing her heart, she pulled down the triggers with all she's got and fired two massive rockets straight towards Utsuho.

The recoil launched her into plenty of Danmaku, but it was fun just to let loose and show the hell raven the same firepower she was displaying here. Utsuho swung her cape up for protection, pretending that she was in a real bare-knuckles brawl with this opponent she found worthy of facing her one-on-one.

Having satisfied herself thusly, Shina resumed to using the faster SMGs to pepper the bullets into the hell raven while keeping on the move. As it turned out though, there was still one more addition to Utsuho's Last Word that Shina didn't see coming.

She fired tightly woven shurikens of blue Danmaku, each one having sparkling similar to the stars in the night sky. What Shina took away from this is that they were meant to resemble galaxies. They were pretty large shurikens too. Not as big as the real deals, obviously, but impressive enough in scale to be of concern.

Shina swerved hard to the left and ducked under one of the shuriken, placing her guns against her chest for optimal firing. Then she folded her legs in and "hopped" over another shuriken, but ended up hitting another flare that pushed her into a few of the red-white Danmaku.

She recovered fast but was starting to feel a little winded. Meanwhile Utsuho had plenty of energy to spare, even if it was probably just for show. Her energy was flaring like mad, and for a moment Shina could've sworn she heard a quiet growl coming from her.

But she shook it off, believing it to just be a lone vengeful spirit boiling in the hellfire below. She took her SMGs and kept firing while on the move, evading every other flare as the shurikens started making it difficult to keep away from them all.

Yet when push came to shove Shina knew how to hold out as long as physically possible, even if it would leave her exhausted. After thirty more seconds of tangoing with Utsuho's Last Word, the last bullets struck the hell raven head-on, and broke all her Danmaku apart.

It was quite the pretty lightshow all things considered, and made victory even sweeter for Shina. She pumped her fist into the air and cried out, "Yeah! I did it!"

Rin's disappointment could be heard from afar as she floated over to Shina and commented on her friend's performance, "Awww, you tried your best Okuu, but I guess the aboveground folk are just too tough to handle."

She was nevertheless proud of the hell raven, and showed it with a gentle smile.

Shina and her looked over at Utsuho, who was just floating there unresponsive to either of their voices, and got a mite concerned. Rin floated closer and raised her voice, "Hey now, don't be a sore loser Okuu. Say you had fun, ok?"

Shina's heart was racing, not from the thrill of battle, but from her mind sending her warnings up the wazoo. Utsuho's power was spiking like crazy, unable to be contained within her body. Her aura was spreading out, taking on the form of a gigantic crow with the heart of a black sun.

"Rin, quickly, get back!" She yelled with her hand outstretched.

Rin glanced over her shoulder in confusion as a shockwave of fire burst forth from Utsuho's chest, and blew her away. Shina was there to catch the Kasha, but the two could only stand back and watch as the hell raven underwent a painful experience.

Utsuho grit her teeth and reared her head back as her strange eye was set ablaze with hellfire. She clenched tightly onto her control rod as nuclear energy pulsed forth like lightning from her skin pores. The pain was too great to even let her scream.

"O-Okuu?! What's going on?!" Rin turned to Shina and yelled in exasperation, "What did you do to her?!"

Shina was just as confused as she was, at least at first, "I-I didn't do anything! I swear this isn't my doing!"

She spoke honestly with all her heart, but Rin could only plead with tears in her eyes, "Then what is...?! What's hurting my best friend?!"

Shina could only wager a guess that this was the mastermind's doing. This monstrous power edged way too close to Shadow Junko's to be a coincidence. But whereas that awful Shadow was devoid of nothing but the power of purity, what was filling Utsuho's body to the breaking point was something divine and ancient...and angry.

The rage of this power churned the cauldron of the damned to life, and raised its hellish flames to envelop the hell raven in a whirling cocoon of chaos. Rin was dead silent, fearful for her friend's life. But what would emerge from that cocoon was not her friend, but a twisted creature that took upon something mildly resembling her.

With a pale shriek capable of exorcising the souls of mortals from their bodies on a city-wide level, the creature spread its burning red, feathery wings to part the devil's flames, and emerged into this world a titan towering over its domain once more. This nightmarish beast took on the shape of Utsuho save for the arms and feet, the former of which were gone, and the latter of which had been transformed into a trio of three-taloned crow's feet. Its whole body was searing crimson, burning angrier than a star that had turned into a red giant. Its eyes were pale and fueled with a blind rage capable of scorching the surface of entire planets in an instant. And its cape, once entwined in the majesty of the cosmos, was now slowly having its beauty snuffed out one star at a time until only a blood red cosmology would remain.

This was the god revered in the days long before Gensokyo ever existed. Its presence once signaled the coming of divine intervention from gods higher than it, and symbolized both rebirth and rejuvenation. But this creature was a horrid shell of its former self, running only on the fumes of its own ceaseless grudge against the one who slain it. It could not speak, for its lungs were filled with the hollow screeches of its own self-inflicted pain.

Utsuho had been made its host for quite some time, but now she was its prisoner. Rin wanted to reach out, and call her friend's name, but knew it was a futile effort. The mad fury of this god had possessed Utsuho whole, and Shina knew the mastermind was to blame for this atrocity. Yet with the target of its grudge nowhere to be found, the mad god set its sights on those closest by with an empty, soul-charring glare. There was no avoiding a battle here...Shina knew she had to face this god, alone if she must. But perhaps she'd serve herself well to not underestimate the power of...

 **YATAGARASU ~ The Crimson Raven Who Swallowed the Black Sun**

 _Next Time: Timeless Grudges_


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Scorching Fury**

Alex and Satori made a mad dash for her courtyard, which she explained as being the source of that primordial screech. Alex, unfortunately, had to keep up with her slower pace, as she wasn't exactly qualified to be called "fit" or "healthy" like he was.

But it was a grueling effort on his part to be patient now. He sensed something terribly amiss burning deep in the farthest recesses of the Underground. Its power reminded him of Kanako and Suwako's, only wilder and much, much hotter.

And if trouble had followed them here, then Shina had likely seen it start. That made it all the more imperative to get there sooner rather than later. Yet here Alex stood, waiting as the satori ran her breath ragged going to the Hell of Blazing Fires.

Satori looked up at his face, whose features were doing a terrible job concealing his frustration at her. Even without a scan of his mind, she knew how to respond, "You're right...It is a burden to us both to continue proceeding like this."

Alex grit his teeth and scratched the side of his face, "Then why are you even coming along?"

"Because this concerns me as much as it does you." She said in a defiantly blunt tone. Alex couldn't exactly bring himself to give his usual snark after that.

He moved his hand to the back of his head and growled a bit, then slowly turned around and bent down, forcing himself to say with prolonged strain, "Urggh...Get on."

Satori closed her eyes and remarked, "Ah, so there's traces of a gentleman in you after all."

The palace trembled violently, and a herd of many different animals sprinted past a somewhat terrified Satori. Alex deeply stressed not clowning around by yelling to her, "Will you just mount me already?!"

She had already hopped onto his back and slipped her legs around his waist by the time he said that. She then wrapped her arms around his neck with a skin both cold and sweaty.

"Hrr..." Alex stood up and dashed straight for the courtyard as she squeezed hard onto his neck to hold on. He didn't even feel her, and carrying her was like lifting a pin. It was honestly a little pitiable how bad of shape she was in.

"I don't recall asking for your pity..." Satori said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Then stop reading my mind!" He yelled back. Then he stopped, having arrived at the chasm leading to the Blazing Hell.

"Alright hold still, its about to get chilly." Alex started to envelop his body in a compact cold wind, only for Satori to pinch the side of his neck and break his concentration.

"Ow! What the actual hell?!" For a frail girl, she certaily had a pinch of steel.

"I'm a denizen of this palace. Do you think me so weak I can't handle a little heat?" She said with her head stuck up a bit.

"Little heat?" It feels like we're gonna dive into a goddamn supervolcano!" Alex felt her resting her head against his neck, and thus with a growl he grumbled "Oh forget it..." and leapt right into the chasm.

He dive bombed his way straight through with Satori holding on tighter. The power of the monster waiting for them gushed out, trying to hold them back. But it was a mere gust of wind to Alex, who pushed on and triumphed to their destination in seconds.

His first impression of the Hell of Blazing Fires would have to wait, for what lorded over it grasped ahold of his entire plane of vision.

The heat had risen much in the Hell of Blazing Fires, creating an updraft of hot air that blurred the presence of the crimson raven and made it appear as a mirage. But oh, it was real. Very, very well. As too was the person it engaged in battle.

The crystallic streak of light that glided around the mighty bird as it flailed about was undoubtedly Shina's. She bombarded the monster with all ammunition she could let loose, yet it showed no signs of pain even from explosions.

With but a swing of its wing the bird launched Shina into the leftmost wall, and then attempted to incinerate her with a shapeless breath of nuclear flames. She escaped swiftly and remained quick on the draw, launching a macross of tiny missiles into the beast's maw.

It repelled the beast in-so-much as forcing its mouth shut, and from there Shina zipped clockwise around the beast in order to make it lose focus as she attacked. She held the speed advantage, but her power seemed to be doing nothing to harm the beast.

Alex watched this battle unfold with vested interest and some concern, while Satori had been frozen stiff, save for her right hand shaking atop her Third Eye. "Okuu..." She whispered in pain as her eyelids squeezed partway shut, reacting to the strain her mind was enduring.

"Lady Satori Lady Satori!" Rin flew herself in the way of her master's line of sight with her eyes pale white and her face flushed of all color, though that was a detail that was hard to notice due to the lighting.

"Orin?" Satori felt a bit more relaxed in her presence and let out a sigh, "Thank god you're ok..."

Rin was tense and sweating profusely, and she swung her right hand out towards the massive bird, "I'm fine, but Okuu...Okuu isn't! P-Please help Lady Satori, I-I...don't know what to do!"

"You can relax..." Satori used the hypnotic powers of her Third Eye to quell Rin's chaotic mind just enough for her to speak clearly the question she asked, "Tell me everything from the beginning."

"...Shina and I were looking for her thing, but when that didn't work I asked if she wanted to play with me and Okuu...Okuu looked funny while we were playing, but I didn't think it'd turn out like this..." Rin's ears drooped as she pouted.

"Its not your fault Orin..." Satori petted her gently behind the ears, her fingers tense but gentle. Rin purred, and she did Satori swiveled her head towards Alex.

He slapped his chest and exclaimed in exasperation, "What?! You think I did this?!"

"No, we both know who the culprit is..." Satori faced the unfolding battle and spoke vaugely on purpose, "That 'mastermind' of yours is responsible for reawakening the power dormant inside my pet."

Her posture remained the same, but Alex could feel her anger swelling up inside.

"The power of Yatagarasu..." He spoke, a lump forming in his throat that he unconsciously swallowed. Knowing which god they faced made Shina standing up to it with just her Gunslinger Drive all the more impressive in his eyes.

"Hrmmm..." Satori hummed deep in thought, piquing Alex's curiosity.

'What's wrong?" He asked dryly.

"Okuu's mind is still in there...Its a flicker of light in a raging inferno...Muted, but alive," Of that much she could speak confidently, "She is holding on as best she can. What a good girl..."

"Soooo what you're saying is...Yatagarasu hasn't taken full control of her?"

"Exactly..."

Alex looked at the mighty crow, and found it right to voice his suspicions now, "Now that you mention it, there is something off with its power..."

"Oh?" Satori perked up to listen.

"Like...there's a bunch of holes in it, and its power is being forced out like geysers. That'd mean Yatagarasu's incomplete in that vessel, but why?"

"Most likely due to Okuu having been fed the deity's corpse. Yatagarasu's almighty power had to have decayed immensely over the centuries."

"Immensely? Lucky us..." Alex sighed, not even wanting to imagine how strong the sun devoured would've been in its prime.

"But the longer Yatagarasu remains in here, the more it'll feed off the vengeful spirits to regain all its power. And if it were to do so..."

"Then bye-bye Gensokyo..." Alex felt the weight of the situation fully now, and his knuckles began to buckle down into fists. He grit his teeth, cursing the mastermind once more.

"Stay back you two. I'll free your pet from this nightmare as soon as possible!" His body ignited, and he mustered up his bravery to fight.

"A-And how are you going to do that?" Rin asked, trembling up next to her master for comfort and protection.

"The same way I always handle things..." Alex projected a big confident smirk their way.

"By punching the problem until it goes away." Him AND Satori said at the same time. He looked at her, shaking his hands out as though to say 'Seriously?' Then faced the battlefield and cracked his knuckles and neck while growling, "Way to take the wind from my sails..."

He focused on his target's goliath frame and watched as it cast a wide, contempuous shadow over Shina with its wings. She continued to pelt its chest with bullets to seemingly no avail, and the monster was growing weary of that. It readied its talons over her body, prepared to dunk her straight into her magma.

Alex's eyes widened and he shunted right off the tunnel's edge. Before the crow could move or blink, Alex had smashed his left shoulder straight into its gut. A ripple shook through the god's flesh, and then it was launched back into the wall like a nail hammered into an oak board. The impact disoriented Yatagarasu and it slowly began to slide down the wall.

Alex grabbed his shoulder. It was burning, a little sore, but all totally worth it. "That'll hold you off a bit..." He growled smugly.

"There you are, finally!" Shina flew right up to him. He took a quick glance back at her body, and besides some scuffing here and there she was in good shape.

"How you holding up Shina?" He felt was still necessary to ask.

She put on her usual smile, but it was a bit rocky to maintain, "I'm doing fine, thanks for asking!"

Squinting more, Alex saw sweatdrops as big as rain drenching her skin and clothes. Her face was red too. Maybe she could've been embarrassed from being in this mess, but Alex knew not to put much merit in that.

"Shit...Shina, you're hot."

She reeled back and said with a wiggly grin, "G-Gosh Alex, is it really the time for-"

"Not like that!" Alex planted his hand on her forehead and told her firmly, "You're burning up. You need to back away and cool off a bit."

Shina shook her head and playfully responded, "Keep me in coach! I can handle it!"

It was admirably that she kept a happy tone right now, but Alex refused her request while playing along, "Negative Shina. I'm benching you for the time being. You're sweating and basically firing peanuts at a raging elephant right now."

Shina closed her eyes a bit and looked away, then admitted a troubling quibble, "But its kinda my fault for not noticing-"

"Its never out fault Shina. Don't let the mastermind get to you. That's what sh-...they want." Alex looked her square in the eyes and put a hand on her shoulder, "A couple minutes. That's all I'm asking...Please."

"Oh...Alright, you win." She said with a giggle.

Yatagarasu began to stir, dragging down part of the wall with it. The two flinched, then Alex swung his hand back and threw a bubble of cold, wet air over to where the tunnel is.

"Go!" He yelled, and Shina rocketed right on over to safety.

Alex waved both his hands energetically towards his body and yelled "Come on!" to the wild god. It seemed a good idea at the time to grab all of Yatagarasu's attention, but as he'd find out in a moment or two...His taunts were unnecessary.

Yatagarasu peeled away from the wall, which was melting as easily as glass, and glared towards Alex. Its glare penetrated his body and pushed his soul right out for a brief moment, causing his body to slack back and feel a smidgen of fear. Then with a single humid gust from its wings, the crow lorded itself inches over his body,

He quickly remembered what Hecatia had said, and whispered in a brief realization of his idiocy, "Oh son of a bitch..."

Yatagarasu dove at him screeching at the top of its lungs, its anger turning the cauldron of magma into a sea in the middle of a storm. The hot liquid splashed about against the walls and flew into the air, droplets of it colliding with it and Alex.

He thrust his hand out and used a blast of air to escape the god's wrath, then set his hands on fire as he'd usually do and launched a beam as big as its chest straight into its demonic eye. The eye glowed bright, and the crow fought fire with fire. Its searing white flames collided and twisted together with Alex's crimson ones, slowly forming and expanding a sphere in the center of the arena.

Yatagarasu flapped its wings, sending waves of hot air to throw Alex's concentration off. But he could handle anything it threw his way, cause if there's one thing he can beat a god of the sun at, its being a hot-head. He poured on more power, increasing the beam's size by twenty percent, and managed to drive the colliding forces back towards the crow.

The impact forced its wings out and spun it around twice, where it then swiftly recovered and charged straight at Alex. He sped to the left, grabbing onto his right shoulder and giving his arm a swivel as the crow passed by. Then he thrust forward and punched it firmly in the armpit.

Yet he was the one who failed, for the crow brought its wing down and snatched him up, then spun around like a twister to keep him disoriented before flinging him at the magma. Alex instinctively pushed his hands around and created two hot flame jets from his palms to keep himself leveled a foot above the surface.

A bubble popped and sizzled in his ears, and he felt a drop of sweat disintegrate into mist on his forehead. Quite frankly even an Elemental Overlord deserves to be afraid of swimming in hot magma, at least in his opinion. But this wasn't the time to be concerning himself with minor details, for Yatagarasu was coming in hot.

He thrust back and the crow smashed the magma's surface, standing atop it with its three legs and leaning forward to stare him down with its hollow, rage filled eyes. It drew its wings back and launched forward with all it had, ramming its magma drenched head into his stomach.

Alex spat forth blood that lasted a second, then grabbed onto the sides of Yatagarasu's head and drew on all his strength to turn the god's efforts against it. He twisted his body, painfully feeling every muscle in his arms and waist as he hauled the crow's massive girth around and slammed it against the wall it had planned to force him into.

Alex dropped his arms to give them a quick rest, _"Satori needs to put her pet on a diet, god damn!"_

Yatagarasu squirmed as it pulled away from the wall and wreathed its wings in searing white flames. It lashed them out, sending the flames out in a furious storm that swept up Alex like a twig. He was battered around inside of it for a few seconds and got carried away to the opposite side of the arena, the heat combined with the gale proving difficult to get his bearings within.

So in an attempt to make things easier for himself, he tried to go with the flow so when he does hit the wall, his feet will be what braces the impact. The gale kept persisting a few seconds after he did so, but his legs held up under pressure just as he had faith they would.

He had every right to smirk in the face of danger, and after tugging his arms out to build up pressure underneath his legs he charged straight at the incoming Yatagarasu. The two rammed each other stubbornly, him matching its vengeful heart with the pure ferocity of his.

The two repelled away then went flying back in, smashing into each other a few more times with shockwaves that broke off parts of the ceiling. Yatagarasu stopped this futile assault by firing a spinning star of fire as big as its body, which Alex defied through the sheer slicing power of his blade.

He then grabbed his sword in both hands in swung it overheard, leaping twenty feet over the god in a single movement. Lightning erupted from the glistening amber and he brought it all down like Mjolnir upon Yatagarasu's head. The god's eyes widened and it fell on its back into the magma, splashing about like a child struggling to swim.

Alex used his blade to slash thick waves of air downward multiple times, hoping to keep the monster down. But someone like him should've understood the severity of such potent rage. Yatagarasu got back upright and lurched amidst the magma, letting out a roar so mighty it forced it all the magma against the walls.

Alex crossed his arms and held on, his skin feeling as though it'd peel off under this insurmountable pressure. It made him want to use more power to fight back, but doing so would risk the demise of Utsuho, the helpless victim in all this madness. And he wouldn't give the mastermind the satisfaction of going against his moral code.

So Yatagarasu was welcome to madly flaunt its power until the seas of Hell burned dry, but he wouldn't budge an inch. He vowed to stand against its might and beat it the way he was now. "So come on you damn crow..." He funneled wind after wind into his arms until miniature tornados were swirling hundreds of miles per hour around them.

"Bring it ON!" He screamed, overpowering the god's angered cries as he counteracted its winds with some of his own. He then punched his fists back, bearing down his knuckles against the empty air, and fired himself straight at Yatagarasu's head.

The magma, which had started to settle back into place, was forced away as Alex smashed his right fist into the crow's skull. He dug his knuckles in deep and forced the monster's whole body to the ground, the force of his blow leaving him spiraling for a bit after.

He stabilized with his back to the ceiling and all focus on the crow forcing itself up. Every movement it forced itself through made it seem as though it was breaking its bones to do so. He could only imagine the agony being inflicted upon both it and Utsuho, as he had felt similar pain in the past.

The enduring struggle to stand showed the lengths Yatagarasu was willing to go to exact its vengeance. If it was willing to destroy its own body this quickly after coming back to life, then there was no simple way to go around it. Yatagarasu could only be stopped the way Alex was handling it, through pure brute force.

He didn't wait another second to attack, and dove down to punch its head once more. Yatagarasu retaliated by rearing its head back with all its might, knocking the boy away like a fly before he could strike. It flapped its wings and set the sky ablaze with wild flames, then threw them all towards Alex.

He shook his head then drew his sword, quickly cutting down all the flames that came his way. Then he planted his feet against the ceiling and reeled his hands back with both on fire. Yet as he prepared to strike back, the crow flew straight up and bashed its skull into him, breaking the ceiling by using him as a thick nail.

It smashed its head into him repeatedly without pause, eventually drawing blood from his mouth. His brain was rattling inside his skull, making it impossible for him to fight back. After multiple bludgeonings Yatagarasu pulled back and drew flames into its demonic eye, with Alex dead center in front of it.

He was stuck to what remained of the ceiling with his arms feeling like they were bound with super glue made out of a demon's hide. He clenched his fists and tugged, ripping the hairs off his arms and burning the skin but slowly making progress to free himself. But he wasn't going to make it in time. The attack had no possible chance of killing him, but it would hurt. **A lot.**

Then a familiar looking bright rope wrapped around the pit of Yatagarasu's left wing, followed by its right one. The ropes were thicker than a fully grown oak trunk, a necessity for reigning in a monster this gargantuan. With one mighty tug, the ropes snapped into place and forced the beast's wings back.

"Shina!" Alex yelled in a mix of relief and surprise.

Far behind the god she was holding onto her rope firing guns for dear life. Her head was pulled back as far as her neck allowed, and there were a few veins popping out of her hands. She grunted and groaned and told that monster off angrily, "Get yer dirty mitts off my boyfriend!"

This would normally be one of those moments where the strength of one's resolve would equate to gaining newfound physical strength...Buuuut sadly for Shina, Yatagarasu was one _hefty_ crow. When all her efforts amounted to was delaying its attack, she nervously went, "Hehehe...whoops..."

She'd get a quick re-evaluation of her efforts, however, when that delay allowed Alex to break free and attack Yatagarasu's chest head-on. Shina broke the ropes and flew aside as Alex rammed the god into the magma and wailed it with a few hard punches as payback for earlier.

The crow's energy hadn't diminished in its chest, and it blasted him point blank with a concentrated laser of heat. He crossed his arms and dug his feet into the air, holding the power at bay and even forcing it back a few inches at worst. After Yatagarasu charged more power, however, he was unable to keep it up.

He swung away and caught his breath while gazing at the flames that burned through to the ceiling. Upon realizing how bad it'd be if they somehow breeched the surface, Alex grit his teeth with closed eyes and flung himself back into the flames to act as the barrier holding them back.

While he did so, Shina covered him by launching a quick string of several rockets around his body into Yatagarasu's chest to disrupt the flow of power. When even the slightest opening was felt, Alex lashed out against the flames with all his might and forced it back into Yatagarasu's eye.

Its chest jolted up in painful recoil, yet it spread its wings and flew straight at him with little care. Shina got between him and the crow and slammed her feet into its stomach. She cushioned her back with aura for Alex's sake, telling him hastily to "Hang on tight!"

He hugged the cushiony aura with his own back and let Shina do her thing for a bit. Her legs were being forced against her waist, yet she grit her teeth and wildly started kicking Yatagarasu's body with her rocket boots. Each impact gave her more space to kick, and thus increased the power of each individual blow.

Yatagarasu quickly lost the strength necessary to force them back, and with its speed decreasing Shina used the last bit of force to propel herself high with a leap and then pound the crow with both her feet at once. Alex then rolled out from behind her and surrounded his fist in lightning, diving down to strike Yatagarasu in the chest.

After pushing it away he spread his fingers out and blasted it with a lightning bolt. He extended his other hand out and grabbed onto Shina's, then threw her straight at Yatagarasu the moment his lightning subsided. She pulled out a shotgun and planted the barrels firmly in its face, gave it a wink, then blasted it without hesitation.

As the crow was drenched in magma once again, Shina cocked the shotgun over her shoulder and lifted the left side of her lip, wondering to Alex as he got closer, "Its not going down easy, is it?"

"It desperately wants to get revenge against the original Overlord, that's why," Alex admitted without cause for pause, then swung his fist out and declared, "We're going to have to keep hitting it with everything we've got right now if we want to free Utsuho!"

"Huh?" Shina gave him a strange blank look, and he said to her, "Huh? What do you mean 'Huh'? Am I wrong?"

"...Oh! Right, that's her name! I was getting really used to calling her 'Okuu'!" Shina stuck the tip of her tongue out and Alex shook his head and groaned her name, admittedly charmed by her goof.

Yatagarasu screeched and flew out of the magma to wind up right in front of them. It didn't give them a chance to react before swatting Shina away with one hard swing of its wing, forcing her head first into a wall. When Alex spent a second worrying for her, Yatagarasu grabbed him tight in its middle talon and forced him straight down into the magma.

It held its wing aloft and dragged him along the surface for a few seconds, most of it flying into his mouth. He was really really REALLY appreciative of his powers right now, causing otherwise this 'hot sauce' would be frying his innards alive. To escape this situation though he'd have to try something crazy. But unfortunately for the crow, crazy was his middle name.

He stretched his arm towards the magma and forced a pillar of stone to arise in his path. He then hastily transformed the stone into cobalt so it'd survive the temperatures, and tried to grab on. He just missed his mark by an inch, then clenched his fist and went _"Damn!"_

He tried again, this time making the pillar bigger, but by then Yatagarasu had grown wise to his trickery and rammed him head first into his own pillar. Alex's brain felt like it came ajar, and he stopped moving temporarily. An inescapable victim to the crow's wrath, Alex was dragged through the magma for another twenty seconds before someone made an effort to stop this injustice.

A few hardy spikes sped through the air like lightning bolts, fired from a nail gun Shina held in both hands that was way bigger than her body. The spikes either scraped the sides of Yatagarasu's body, or penetrated its wings. She hoped mostly for the latter to happen, for the propulsion of the spikes was hard enough to nail the creature's wings to the walls.

She kept firing without a care because the monster itself didn't care about her. She squinted her eyes and guided her aim straight and true, keeping her cool the whole time. She didn't have to worry about Alex's safety for now, he could handle whatever Yatagarasu threw at him.

Finally getting in a lucky shot, Shina watched as the bird's left wing wrapped around the front of its body, surprising it the moment before it got pinned to the wall so hard it was forced to let Alex go. Shina fired a few more spikes into the wall below it to give Alex a safe zone to roll onto, then kept bombarding Yatagarasu's wings to keep it down.

The crow revolted with explosive strength, blowing up the spikes and latching its talons into the wall to push out in one thrust. It then spun around and dove for Alex faster than Shina'd be able to get a spike out. She clenched her gun tightly and exclaimed desperately, "Alex!"

" _Alex!"_ Her voice echoed inside his shaken mind and renewed his strength. He thrust his eyelids open and pressed his hands against the makeshift floor, raising and slamming his feet into Yatagarasu's foot.

He then pushed his body off the ground and twisted around in a spiral to force the god off him before it'd get the chance to make him its prey again. He then spun back and thrust his palms out to propel away with air, flying fifty feet away and being caught around the waist by Shina, who chipperly proclaimed, "Gotcha!"

He got off her fast and watched as Yatagarasu was starting to pull away from the wall still looking no worse for the wear. He scowled and grumbled, "You've got be kidding me. Can we even take this thing down like this?!"

"Ya know, I was thinking..." Shina threw in her two cents calmly, "But...what if we should be focusing on the eye?"

He glanced back at her and she shrugged her arms up, "I mean...Ain't it Yatagarasu's most defining feature? Everything else's just borrowing off Okuu's appearance."

He stared with mouth agape for a moment, then snapped his fingers up and softly spoke, "You're a genius Shina."

"Awww schucks..." She rubbed the back of her head and blush, but he promptly ignored that and faced the wild god's demonic eye.

"If we focus our efforts into attacking its eye, then that should be enough. And I got just the plan to do so."

"Sweet, what is it?" She leaned closer to his face to hear it clearly.

"Just keep Yatagarasu at bay for about...twenty seconds, and then once I do the thing and give the signal you'll coat my hands in aura. Got it?"

"...Uhh, kind of?" She said with her eyelashes fluttering. He patted her on the shoulder, flashed a smile in confidence, then flew to the very center of the cauldron.

Yatagarasu tried to pursue, but Shina raised a shotgun to its face as she got in its way and fired to repel it. The god kept charging, so she swung her right leg up and propelled the rockets on her boots at full power. Her leg felt like it'd come right off if she did this wrong, and while that was a little frightening the possibility of losing Utsuho to the mad god was even more so.

She rammed her leg into the side of Yatagarasu's face then screamed "HYAAH!" as she spun around and repeatedly struck the crow with a pinwheel of kicks. It was annoyed like a tick had been bothering it, and treated the matter as such by opening its mouth and attempting to roast the nuisance with fire.

Shina coated herself in aura to fend it off as best she could for a while, but the truth was that Yatagarasu wanted this to happen so she'd be pushed away from Alex. When she was far enough, it flew straight for him. She firmly slanted her brows down and growled, "Oh no you don't!"

She rocketed forth with one thrust of her boots, then fired down and crossed her arms to nail the crow in the back of the neck. This changed its flight trajectory to go underneath Alex, and she followed up on this by blasting it away with a point-blank rocket. The blast flung her back to Alex, where she looked back and hastily asked, "How's it coming along?!"

He was draining the magma and converting it a giant chained cobalt shackle before her very eyes, and his effortlessly in the matter left her awestruck. Yatagarasu's roar couldn't even break his concentration, but it made her gasp. She faced the god and assaulted it with bullets, yet it spun around like a violent tornado to deflect each and every one.

It affirmed its gaze straight onto its target and kept flying, refusing to be stopped. Shina was running through her reserves of aura at this juncture, and no longer had the capability to create weapons strong enough to repel its charge. Yet in this desperate moment, Alex triumphantly declared "Get below me Shina!" and she smiled knowing that he was ready.

After she had followed his command Alex spun around and brought the completed shackle to Yatagarasu. He guided its movements perfectly, opening and snapping the shackle shut around its neck. Having blasphemously bound a god like a leashed dog, Alex channeled all his strength into throwing the crow into the wall. The impact jolted the god, but he wasn't done there.

He spun his body around and around, dragging Yatagarasu ragged through the walls and building up speed to ludicrous degrees. Shina was frozen stiff, knowing that the slightest movement would leave her diced up in this wild and crazy blender.

"Well at least the place's getting a nice renovation..." She joked to pass the time.

Alex then suddenly let go of the chains and reached right down for the Gaia Temporis. He knew exactly where to go after stopping time, and sped forward to that location. He cracked his knuckles, looking behind to see Yatagarasu about to start another rotation around the walls. Then with a grin he clutched his fists by his hips and let time resume.

The crow made it back around in a couple seconds, and Alex perfectly timed ramming his fists straight into its eye while yelling "SHINA! NOW!"

Between the momentum Yatagarasu had built up and the refusal to budge as his full force punches collided with it, it was some wonder that the whole Hell of Blazing Fires didn't collapse right there. Alex was holding onto the integrity of the walls with all he had, and after reorienting herself to where he had gone off she held her arms out and poured the last remaining aura she got into his hands.

A pair of spiked grieves formed around his fists, and he complimented them in his head as he swung the right one back and took aim at the center of Yatagarasu's eye. He smashed his fist in deep, failing to penetrate the eye but making the crow screech loudly in pain, and a bright, magma-like blood to ooze from its mouth.

Alex held on still, but as he prepared to hit it with one final punch a set of images began to form in his head. Connecting to Yatagarasu on such a personal level caused him to experience the god's final moments. It laid on the ground with blood drenched eyes and stared into the face of a blood soaked man in his mid-twenties, who raised a diamond katana and plunged it into its body without hesitation, and at the last second the crow cursed the person's name.

Alex hesitated only for a second, for as he told the mad god, "I ain't responsible for his guilt."

He plunged an uppercut deep into Yatagarasu's eye and yelled out as the grieves her wore shattered, "But you're responsible for that body you're possessing! Now go back to being dead already and give it back!"

A single crack formed in the eye as the crow was forced through hundreds of feet of stone in an instant, silent all the while. Its back slammed into the ceiling and its eyes were forced shut, upon which it let out a whimper and then became wreathed in fire. The fire burned through its body, flesh and all, until only a little raven with a strange eye on its chest remained.

Alex flew up and caught it in both his hands. It was unmoving, and distressingly silent. His heart started racing, even more so as Shina flew right over to him and yelled, "Hey hey! Is Okuu..."

She was stunned into silence by the sight of her unconscious body. A tear naturally formed in her eyes, and she was ready to mourn the tragic loss here today. Then Alex felt a movement, a single breath if you would, and peeked down to find that Utsuho hadn't been killed...She was merely tired, and needed a gentle nap.

"Hey, Shina..." He raised the sweet little raven up to her face and smiled, "Look...Its going to be alright."

"Oh thank god!" She gasped all at once, "I dunno what I woulda done if she died..."

They then returned to Satori lickity-split. She was cradling a tired Rin in her cat form, and she was content with snoring her stress away. Satori looked up and smiled, just a tiny bit, but it made her appreciation all the more pronounced.

"Is she...?"

"Yes, she's fine." Alex held Utsuho out, and Satori peered at her for a while before saying, "She'll be fine after a long, quiet nap."

She then closed her eyes and gave a courteous bow, "Thank you, both of you. I shall forever remain in your debts."

"Uhhh...That's fine, I think we caused you enough problems already." Alex remarked while rubbing the back of his head.

"I'd rather live in a ruined palace than an empty one," Satori gently stated, then looked at Shina and asked, "If its not too much to ask, can you carry Orin back up? Today has left me...tired."

"Sure thing!" Shina said with both arms already out. After taking Rin she made her way for the tunnel, and Alex wished to follow but was stopped by Satori.

"Before you go, there's something you need to know..." Alex turned over his shoulder and let her speak. But he wasn't prepared for what'd come out, "I appear to have...forgotten what you wished to hear."

Her honesty was undeniable, but the cause for it made zero sense to Alex, "Forgot? How could you just forget?"

"I wish I knew. One second it was there, the next it was not...But I cannot forget who was responsible."

And neither would Alex. Now it was clear as to why Hecatia had guided him here. It was a personally laid trap for the mastermind, one that'd force them to act in desperation to cover up an important truth. Yet ironically, by doing so, the mastermind had confirmed to Alex beyond a shadow of a doubt as to who they were.

"Yukari Yakumo...She's our enemy." Alex's heart became strained from an incalcuable degree of rage as he clenched his fists tight.

But as Satori remarked, "And she's a dangerous enemy at that. You'd be wise not to underestimate her, Alex Whiter."

Alex could quell his rage only so much, but she was right. Anger'd solve nothing now. At the moment, he needed to regroup with Shina and plan out their next move. After getting back to the palace he handed Utsuho over to Satori and him and Shina said their goodbyes to her.

Alex was silent as they left the palace, thinking deeply about his journey up until this point. While Shina, not out of concern for his sudden quietness, spoke hesitantly, "Umm...Alex?"

"What?" He barely responded.

"I was thinking...When we fought Junko's Shadow and Yatagarasu...Ummm, it was like...Something else was really, really close by."

"Something...else?" Alex swiveled his head a bit towards her.

"Yeah, like...Maybe the mastermind?"

She was more on the nose than he'd be willing to let on, "The mastermind's always been close by, whether we like it or not."

"...Yeah, true." She turned away and seemed dissuaded from saying more about that, "Sooo...We just got two places left to check ya?"

"The Netherworld and the Ministry of Right and Wrong..." Alex remarked, then started to think aloud to himself, _"Or maybe the Cosmos Drive isn't at either place..."_

It was the worst case scenario, but with the lowest chance of being right. The artifact led them here. It CAN'T be lying. So maybe, considering the evidence, this meant...

" _...Yukari...has the Cosmos Drive."_

All the facts lined up. She'd been in possession of the artifact pieces when she handed them out to the other villains, so wouldn't it make sense that she'd be holding the Cosmos Drive hostage too? Alex wished there was another answer, but nothing else sounded right at this point.

" _Son of a bitch...! Then that means the Netherworld's a bad idea. We'd basically be charging headfirst into enemy HQ..."_

But they had to confront Yukari eventually in this case. So why did Alex find himself feeling too scared to deal with that problem himself? He could beat her. He CAN...beat her. Yet...maybe, just maybe...

" _It'd be wise to bring back-up..."_

He thus suggested to Shina, "Lets go to the Ministry first."

"Ok! Sounds good to me. We get there via the Garden of the Sun, I think?" As Shina distracted herself with that, Alex planned out what he needed to do...

" _There's one person in Gensokyo who'd be capable of dealing with Yukari...Shikieki Yamaxanadu. I'll just have to hope and pray that she'll be willing to assist..."_

 _Next Time: Judgment Day_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Judgment of Black and White**

After finally exiting the musky Underground, Shina requested a quick break to relax and breathe in the fresh air. The sensation of purified air entering her nostrils felt so unfamiliar even after such a short time down there. She was also very relieved to have survived the excrutiating heats, as it made the cool spring breeze passing by feel all the better.

Once she was done relaxing they were off to their next destination, the Garden of the Sun. This was a place they hadn't really noticed on their preliminary overlook of Gensokyo, and for good reason. The garden was tucked away in one of the farthest corners of the land, a valley between two otherwise unimportant mountains. No one would think to come to this place unless they were told, and even still not even Youkai would dare get close to the place due to some unsavory rumors regarding the one who watches over the garden day in and day out.

The two took their time flying to the garden. Or rather, Alex was taking his time, and Shina was forced to keep pace. She noticed he wasn't looking in any particular direction. Like, his eyes were vacant and all of his activity was centered entirely in his brain.

She waved a hand in front of his face and got no reaction, then snapped her fingers a couple times and still got nothing. He'd been acting like this ever since they got out of the Underground, and she was starting to get a bit concerned.

"Hmmm..." She curled her bottom lip up and monitored him for any signs of life while trying to think on the same wavelength as him, _"I know yer not feeling well Alex. You've been like this ever since you spoke with Hecatia..."_

She closed her eyes and remained silent but optimistic with her smile, _"I can't expect ya to be open about everything even now...But that's ok. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here for ya."_

She patted him a couple times on the back, even though as he was now her touch would feel like a cloud. It didn't matter to her, it was simply meant to be reaffirmation to him that he wasn't alone.

Though seeing as how she was left alone with her thoughts, Shina decided to whip out the ol' artifact and think things over again regarding the Cosmos Drive.

" _Gotta start from the top 'ere Shina..."_ She wrapped her fingers around the artifact's center and squeezed it gently, then closed her eyes and concentrated on it, _"The artifact led us here. Then we've gone 'n searched most of Gensokyo for the Cosmos Drive and found nothing..."_

She squinted her eyes tighter shut and her face crinkled up and wiggled from how deep her concentration got, _"Phooey! Couldn't the Grand Cosmic Aurian Sage have left behind some memos on how to find the bloody thing?! Coulda at least told us if the artifact's supposed to react in close proximity or not!"_

She gave herself a nice long pause then relaxed with a single breath, shook her head, and opened her eyes. It was no use yelling at a dead old man. Of course he wouldn't have made it easy. The fact that the Cosmos Drive's location could now be narrowed down to 50-50 odds of where it is was impressive enough. The idea that her and Alex's actions would go down in Aurian history for eternity didn't even cross her mind though.

" _Golly, guess I'm just super antsy right now..."_ After giving herself that humorous evaluation, she laid a hand on her chest and felt the frantic rhythm of her heart. She clutched her hand into a fist and gave her chest a couple taps with it, then firmly nodded her head as the heartbeat slowed down.

She pinched her teeth together and let out a quiet giggle as she briefly reminisced the past, "Hard to believe we went from being blind as moles to being just a coin flip away from succeeding."

Her expression hardened up for a moment as the trials along the way reminded her of one loose end that could still rear its ugly head, "And even if the mastermind gets in our way, we're gonna stop 'em. Doesn't matter who they are, they can't beat the two of us!"

And then she looked up, and that serious look in her eyes melted away to be replaced with the sparkles of child-like wonderment. In this pocketed part of Gensokyo there was a wide-open plain of grass where each blade could reach up to her knees, and thus the gentle spring breeze made their dew soaked tips glisten like the surface of the ocean. In the center of it all was a cornucopia of sunflowers, each one standing as tall as houses. There had to be hundreds, maybe thousands of them in all, and yet none of them invaded each other's personal space.

With the sky as clear and blue as could be, Shina wished so, so much to find a spot in the garden and lay down for a nap amongst the gentle caress of the grass...But her priorities sadly lied beyond the garden's purview. From what she could recall, the way to the Ministry of Right and Wrong was hidden in plain sight.

" _I think you access it through a...barrier?"_ She wasn't certain, and so against her better judgment she put a hand to Alex's left shoulder and started shaking him.

He responded quickly with exasperation and a twitchy arm that flailed Shina's own away. Then he looked at her with half-shut eyes and barked just a tiny bit, "What are you doing that for?!"

She retracted with embarrassment manifesting as a grin and hastily apologetic, "Sorry...I thought you were still thinking to yerself."

"...Oh." Even though she made the mistake, he was the one who ended up feeling more guilty. He slowly swiveled his head back, as though reflecting upon his error, then finally seemed to notice where they were.

"That was fast," He joked out of an attempt to sweep the moment of his wandering mind under the rug, "If I recall correctly there's a barrier at the other end of those sunflowers. Though...I guess it's more of a hidden rift than a barrier?"

"Soooo I'm guessing we gotta land in the sunflowers?"

Alex closed his eyes and a vein looked ready to pop on his forehead, "Ooooor we could just...I don't know? **FLY** straight to the barrier?"

That was...weirdly defensive of him. And it was kinda obvious as to why. Shina slowly opened her mouth and went, "Oooooooh! You don't want to fight Yuuka! I see, I see..."

Though Alex took it the wrong way and gave her a stinky glare, "Are you implying I'm scared? Cause I'm not."

She swung her hands around and insisted bluntly, "No no no! I get it, honest! She's a very overbearing person and you've dealt with enough of them for one day."

Alex closed his eyes and resumed sighing for a bit as he rubbed the side of his head, "We have an opportunity to avoid a fight for once, that's all there is too it..."

He lowered his hand and said, "...Sorry for snapping."

Of course she'd always accept a genuine apology, no matter how short they were. All she had to do was smile and giggle, and he knew how she felt. After that they flew straight over the Garden of the Sun, and ran straight into something weird.

The two phased between dimensions, but for Shina it felt as though they were pushing through a castle of gelatin. The air around them distorted, and blurred the line between reality and fantasy. It was unclear as to what lied beyond the rift until they were finally allowed to break through.

'Surreal' could describe a lot of Gensokyo, but this place just felt super, super surreal. What first triggered this response in Shina's head was the sky. There was no sun, no moon, not even clouds or stars. It was blanketed in a permanent sunset hue, and spread far out unto the horizon with very few differences.

Then there was the ground. It was covered in grass, but the individual blades were dark like pine needles and wouldn't move even if a hurricane blew through. Littered amongst the grass were these peculiar red flowers whose named escaped her. But she remembered they represented death and misfortune.

Yet ironically, they were the ionly things here that felt alive. Even the air was stagnant, and Shina quickly longed for the return of that pure sunflowery scent.

Alex must've felt similarly, as when he whiffed the air his face became agitated. Like, his nose nearly retracted into his skull, that's how bad it was.

"Yeeep...This is the afterlife alright." He gave a brief but harsh critique in those few words. Then he stuck his legs downward and dropped to the ground in an instant. Since they still had a mile to walk to their first stop, Shina figured he must've wanted a change of pace. And thinking on it, so did she. So she followed him down and lagged a couple steps behind.

He stopped to look back and ask "How are you holding up?" and she responded quickly, "Fine as usual!"

Though she added with a slight unease in her voice, "Its sooo weird being in the afterlife though, isn't it?"

"Hmph, its about as mopey and boring as I expected it to be."

"Well...dying ain't supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows." She knew that was a little grim coming from her, but Alex really needed that little pinch of realism.

But his mood remained sour, and as he laid a hand over his brows and stared up he grumbled, "Guess it would be asking too much to expect a beauracracy to shell out for some comfort for the unfortunate souls that come through here.'

She sucked her lips in and hummed as the mood now felt a little...uncomfortable, to say the least. Alex wanted to be done with that depressing anecdote as much as her though, and started walking down the slight knoll without saying another word.

Shina imagined he was thinking a lot about the afterlife as they headed for a lone river. He never seeemd the kind to do so, but in hindsight it would've been natural for someone who'd longed for death to have musings of what'd come next on occasion.

That was the furthest from her mind however. If Alex wanted to discuss it, she'd probably even try and divert the topic as soon as possible. It was simply hard to imagine herself not living to the ripe old age of 100 alongside her sister.

As they neared the slope's bottom they saw the river up close. It wasn't very wide and the water was knee-deep. If its pinkish tint didn't dissuade fools from crossing, then the lack of anything interesting beyond certainly would. There was a boat floating close by without a tether, and its owner was even closer to them in the midst of a nap against a slanted rock.

She had short pinkish-red hair with two ponytails tied by head beads and a tall, amazonion stature with large breasts. She wears a white dress underneath a blue vest, and uses an obi with a coin tied to the center to keep it all in place. Nestled off to her left was a very large and imposing scythe with a wispy ripple at the end of its gargantuan blade. One swing of that thing looked like it could cleave an ocean liner in two easily. But Shina guessed such a show of force might be a necessity, given her profession.

 **Komachi Onozuka ~ A Lax River Reaper**

The slothy Shinigami's chest quietly rose and sank with every breath she took. It was hard to believe there'd be someone more into napping during work than Meiling, but there she was, snoring right in front of her company!

Though Shina felt calling her lazy was an insult. She looked at Komachi and saw a lion ready to pounce at the slightest prodding...And hopefully Alex wouldn't be the one attempting to awaken the slumbering beast this time.

Right now though he looked down at her and brought up a good point, "We can't cross the river without the use of her boat."

"So whaddya wanna do? Wait for her to get up?" She suggested with a queer chuckle.

"That'd take hours," He replied with a snide glance back, then as he started rubbing his chin his mind went exactly where she feared it would, "It'll wake her up."

Before his hand went down Shina snatched it up ands went "Nononono!" before grinning at him gently to say, "Remember Meiling? How she laid ya out flat like a freshly caught trout? Well...I don't wanna see ya get diced up into sushi too!"

Alex's eyes widened like he just remembered that previous encounter and got frightened. Thus, he pulled his hand back and admitted "You're right" before then sliding behind and patting her on the back to push her into the lead.

"She's all yours Shina." Nothing about his tone suggested wanting payback through her. He just simply had faith that she's the right woman for the job.

And she understood why...somewhat. No one would be cautious in her presence, not even this hyperaware reaper. Thus she slowly reached her hand out towards the Shinigami's smooth face, thinking to herself _"Wakey wake-"_

Then her heart retreated deep into the back of her chest as Komachi's scythe swung up towards her face in a blinding flash of silver. Her face lost all color and she screeched "Eeep!" as she froze up and stared into the blade, which cruelly reflected her scaredy-cat expression. The blade was just far enough not to cut, yet she felt as though she had been already. But that just turned her fear into amazement regarding the Shinigami's discipline.

Komachi lazily cracked one eye open and said with a deep, relaxed voice, "I knew you were there the whole time."

The Shinigami poked the scythe closer for a little harmless fun then used it as a prop to help stand up. She leaned her chin on her arms atop the blade and kept an approachable air around her as she talked, "So lets take a look here..."

After a cursory glance where Shina felt she was being stripped down to her soul, Komachi perked up and remarked, "You two are still alive huh? Did you come all this way for a sneak peek or..."

Then she slowly got more surprised until finally whispering, "Hold up, you're not even from this world!"

"You can tell?" Alex inquired.

"Its part of our jobs. Would **you** want your boss breathing down your necks all the time just cause a soul meant to go to Earth's Hell wound in Mars' one time?" Though Komachi's griping only came across as hot air for Alex.

"No...No I don't think we can relate to that." He sighed while leaning one hand on his hip.

"Mars has a Hell?" Shina obviously had her priorities straight however, "Does that mean there's al-"

"Ah forget it," Komachi propped her scythe over both her shoulders and chipperly asked, "So? What can I do for you?"

Shina perked up upon seeing her chance to strike with her request. She placed her hands together and said with a bright smile, "Would it be too much to ask to get a ferry ride to yer boss' workplace? We gotta ask her for some help with something reeeeally urgent."

"Sure, I don't see why not." Komachi just gave a brief shrug, but even for her that attitude seemed just a little too lax.

"Ok shinigami, what's the catch?" Alex said with arms crossed and an antsy tapping of his fingers.

Komachi looked rather offended and threw a bit of shade back in his face with a smirk, "I mean...I'll have to kill you both first."

Not that Alex would buy that, much to her disappointment. Though Shina turned pale once again, there was nothing too amusing about that now. So it was with a sad little shrug that she said, "I thought it was funny."

She then propped her scythe up in one hand and turned partway towards her boat, "Normally I'd charge you to cross the Sanzu River...But you're neither dead nor from this world so that's outside my jurisdiction."

She flashed a smile their way and pretended to grab onto the edge of a cap, "So today, I'll just settle for being your captain."

She leapt from there and floated all the way onto the bow of her little boat. She stood there like a statue and stared out onto the endless riverbank until Alex and Shina hesitantly go onboard. For one last scare, Komachi remarked, "Don't make any unnecessary movements. You wouldn't want to irritate the pirahnas."

Shina wrapped her arms around Alex's chest for safety, seeing how he had settled in about as stiffly as a boulder. After failing to impress yet again, Komachi sighed and pointed her scythe northbound, and the boat was off and running.

It took its dear time crossing the Sanzu River, barely covering a foot a second. Whether this was normal or not was something Shina'd have to guess at, as its not like she had experience being dead. Komachi's power was to manipulate distances, so she could hasten or drag out the journey at her leisure, and they'd be none the wiser.

" _Not every day ya get a ferry ride from a Shinigami."_ If Shina **did** for some reason die prematurely, she'd like someone like Komachi to handle her soul. Minus her dark brand of humor, she seemed to an easy person to hold a conversation with.

"So K-" Alex quickly put a muzzle on her with his right hand, and that gave her time to realize her mistake and say in a muffled tone "Oh right!"

After Alex let go she changed her vocabulary lickity-split, "So miss..."

"Just call me Komachi. That's what everyone else around here does."

"Komachi..." Shina felt relieved not to be burdened by pronouns, "You must get a lotta work as a Shinigami, yeah?"

"There's the highs and lows, just like every other job. I'd say the last week's been a low."

"Not much to do?" Alex deduced.

"Not as many people are shuffling off their mortal coil these days. That shrine maiden's probably doing too good of a job out there." Komachi spoke lightly and pouted like a spoiled child, which while strange behavior normally, made sense for a Shinigami.

"...We're not talking about the same Reimu are we?"

"Unless she up and died recently, then yes."

Shina waved her hand up like an eager student and asked, "Can you tell us what yer favorite kind of dead person to talk to is?"

"Oooh, good question," Komachi hung her scythe over her shoulders and thought long and hard over the answer, "A lot of colorful folk pass through here. Dead princes, devoted monks, guys who cut their own necks, others who threw themselves off bridges..."

Shina regretted enabling this kind of talk a bit, but the actual answer would make all the gruesome details worth it. Komachi soon leaned over her left shoulder and said, "If I had to say...It'd be the people who are accepting of their deaths."

"A lot of souls tend to gripe about things they never got to do, but the ones that don't make for smoother sailing partners."

"Makes sense, god knows I'd snap if I had to listen to whining all the time." Alex remarked, causing Shina to huff at him for interrupting Komachi, though he was baffled as to why.

After giving him some trouble Shina was nonetheless inspired to say to the reaper, "How long **have** you been working as a Shinigami?"

"Long enough to know about **his** predecessor." Komachi said while pointing her scythe back at Alex, who dully hung his head and sighed, "Of course you'd know..."

She had half a smile on as she looked back and guided the boat around a riverbend, continuing to make small talk, "The Elemental Overlord left behind quite the bloodbath for us to clean up. I was ferrying dead Lunarians, Youkai and Gods for weeks! So hopefully you won't make as big a mess as he did."

"Give me a break..." Alex knew that didn't warrant saying anything more. But the topic did leave Shina wondering, "Did yer boss know about him too?"

"Nah, Shiki wasn't the appointed Yama at the time. Nor was she the one after."

"What, could the Yama at the time not handle the busywork?" Alex joked, but was quickly chided in a serious tone by Komachi.

"Laugh all you want, but filing away the souls of gods isn't an easy job. You wouldn't last a _second_ with just one soul."

"Hmph, I think I could handle it." Alex was half-serious, but that half spoke stronger than the half that was joking.

"Heh, well you're more than welcome to bring it up with Shiki," Komachi pointed her scythe forward as a deathly fog began to encroach the boat, "Cause here we are."

A jaw dropping sight awaited the two beyond the veil of fog. It was a palace of black and white gold with a pathway lined with pillars that reached to the high heavens. The front gates were taller than most skyscrapers on Earth, and the Palace it was attached to even more so. All the two could see were bits of its outer walls, which didn't even come close to describing the excrutiating detail and time that went into putting this together.

If there was a time for Alex to confirm the existence of a high power, then this was it. Cause there's no way any mortal or regular god could have built this. It was simply impossible. Impossible, yet here it stood, incapable of being ignored.

Komachi docked the boat plainly upon the red wood docks, which had been built similarly to the ones one'd see in an oriental palace over a pond. She hopped right off and paved the way forward with a swing of her scythe, saying with a genuine sense of urgency, "You _really_ don't want to fall off here, trust me."

Shina's feet were shaking as she got off the boat. The air was actively and steadily sucking out her will to live, making every step forward a struggle. Not only that, but her body had goosebumps. This place didn't have to overtly show-off the aesthetic expected of Hell to get the point across like in the Underground. This place was the genuine, bonafide Hell.

Though walking proved difficult, before she knew it Komachi had brought them a couple feet away from the gates to the Ministry. She leaned back and got a terrible sense of vertigo trying to imagine how high up the palace went, and as her lungs grew faint of breath she gasped, "Hooooooly crap..."

Komachi patted her on the back, scythe bundled up underneath her elbow, and said with a distinctly subdued feeling of joy, "Pretty cool huh? Well wait until you see the inside!"

She used her scythe on the center of the door to pry it open nice and slow, and for such a big door it looked effortless for her to get it open. Truly, she was not a person to be trifled with when your time was up.

The sneak peek of the Ministry's interior left Shina at a loss for words. The hallway was like the exterior of the palace, but without the fog to get in the way. So not only did the beauty of the pillars come into full effect, but the atmosphere lost its sense of oppressiveness too. And without any of that, Shina felt comfortable waltzing right in after Komachi remarked, "You'll find Shiki at the end of the hallway, probably toiling away at her papers even on a day off..."

Alex was about to go too when Komachi swung her scythe in his path and berated him, "Uh uh uh. One at a time buster, that's how it goes."

He crossed his arms and got cross with her, "We're not even dead, _buster_."

"So?" Komachi stamped her scythe on the ground and acted as the sentinel of the gates for a brief moment as she steeled her back against Alex's stubborn advances, "I don't make the rules, I follow them."

Alex leaned his head aside and sighed out of pity for the Shinigami, "Guess every office needs a lapdog. But fine, it can wait."

He then waved briefly at Shina and said, "But if you find anything on the Cosmos Drive, come back and get me first, ok?"

"Of course! I promise I won't be long!" Shina started sprinting down the hall and waved him back for a few moments, only for Komachi to shut the door tight and lean up against it with her arms folded behind her head.

"Nice kid. She'll probably make it to Heaven easily," She poked one eye open and remarked as Alex turned his back to her, "But you? You I'm not so certain about."

He tightly crossed his arms and let out a gruff "Hmph". Komachi then relaxed back into place and casually spoke, "Guess we'll know in two weeks."

Alex felt a chill rolling down his spine and slowly poked his head back to say "Excuse me?" Komachi opened an eye again, but this time there was a sinister glint in her irises.

"I can read your remaining lifespan. Though your one preeetty odd customer in that regard. Looks to me like you've gone and died multiple times."

Her accusative tone didn't settle well with him, and he lashed back with a blunt, "Well I've got no idea what the hell you're talking about."

"This isn't the best place to go lying. Before the Yama's watchful eyes, black and white are made clear, as are truth and lies."

"...Yeah if you'll just excuse me." Alex tried to go somewhere else to wait, but Komachi snagged him with her distance manipulating powers so he'd not even make an inch of progress. Thus he just sighed and stood still, hoping Shina wouldn't take long.

After the initial shock over how the Ministry looked, Shina realized there wasn't much else going for it. Sure she was grateful to be walking down a rather short corridor, and the floor was so clean it reflected her entire body. But there were no doors, no pottery with plants, not even a pretty little chandelier on the ceiling.

" _Geez Alex wasn't joking about that cash remark. At least shell out for some scented candles for crying out loud!"_

Minor gripes aside though, she could appreciate not having to walk too far. Hell, she wondered how her shoes had survived for this long!

At the end of this droll hallway was a breath of fresh air excitement-wise. There was a tall wooden judge's podium that stretched all the way from the left to the right, and had a few tiers of differing heights. At the very top of the centermost part was a woman surrounded by dozens of paper stacks that were each taller than her.

The woman in question had a fair complexion with blue eyes and green hair that's longer on the right side. She wears a dark blue, black and white dress with gold decorations and one ribbon on both sleeves. She had on a blue and white hat with a gold emblem in front that displayed her rank as the Yama. In her right hand was a small wooden rod with some unintelligible symbols etched onto it.

She was of middling height and build, and despite all the work she didn't work up a drop of sweat. Shina saw her as kind of the polar opposite of Komachi. The Shinigami had an imposing figure, but an approachable demeanor. While the Yama had an approachable figure, but an imposing demeanor. Even though it felt respectful to refer to her by her title, Shina would rather have used part of her full name.

 **Shikieiki Yamaxanadu ~ The Judge Undefied**

She stood down there, a relative speck compared to the workload the Yama had acquired, and felt too meek to even raise her voice a single decibel to say 'Hi'. No amount of goodwill across her entire lifetime would put her on even footing with the one who judges all who come through.

" _Can't think like that Shina...I'm sure she'll hear ya out."_ She took in a deep breath and let it out, but underestimated how much it would echo. In here, even a simple sigh could become the yawn of a giant.

"Who's there?" Shikieiki spoke in a surprisingly young but authoritative voice and began to peak over her podium, which got Shina shaking in place and looking around in a panic.

"Komachi, is that-" By the time the Yama had made clear that it was not her subordinate, her initial shock was replaced with a subdued bewilderment. Shina was magnetically drawn to stare up and wave her wiggling hand around while sloppily biting her teeth down to smile.

"H-Hello, M-Ms. Yamaxanadu." Her heart sank, and she felt super embarrassed to have started on a seemingly wrong foot.

"A living human? How..." It wasn't something to be observed from high atop her podium. Shikieiki **had** get up close and personal to make sure someone wasn't trying to pull a trick on her.

As she descended from her almighty perch of judgment, Shina froze up and her hand swung up in salute, while her body broke out in a sweat. When Shikieiki landed it was painstakingly obvious that this was no phony. No, the only trickery here was how this strange girl could've possibly wandered into her workplace.

"Speak your name." She spoke with the booming authority gifted by her namesake, and swung her rod with a commanding thrust.

"Shina, Shina Aurora ma'am!" Shina couldn't waste a second.

Shikieiki scrunched her brow and bombarded her with another question without pause, "And where did you come from, Shina Aurora?"

"The Aurian City of Sancturia!"

"...I meant 'how did you get in here', but that's fine too." Shikieiki rubbed her temples, feeling both as though she had slipped up, and was perhaps being a little too rough on this girl.

"Your Shinigami Komachi let me come in, **ma'am**!"

"Oh she did, did she?" Shikieiki sounded rather peeved, but as her retracting her rod showed it was not directed in the slightest at Shina.

She patted the rod on her left palm and calmly spoke aloud her nasty thoughts, "That pesky woman...I'll have to sit her down and lecture her for this later."

Outside, Komachi sneezed.

After a few more seconds Shikieiki squinted up at Shina and saw her trembling like she had a terrible cold. Offering her her warmest, sincerest smile, the Yama said, "Relax, there's no need to be nervous here."

Shina's arms collapsed to her hips and the rest of her body started to follow suit. After filling her lungs back up after a lull in breathing she looked up and saw Shikieiki tapping her rod on her chin and looking very contemplative. She had one more question on her mind, but was much gentler about delivering it, "Why **are** you here, Shina Aurora?"

The downtime in the Ministry had removed any need for the Yama to maintain an imposing demeanor for long. Now that she was very polite and very approachable, Shina had no problems speaking her mind with her usual bubbliness. But first she gently bowed, cause the Yama was a person worthy of reverence.

"I'm so so sorry for barging in like this Ms. Yamaxanadu."

"Please, just call me Shiki." She replied with a small smile hidden behind her rod.

"Ok Shiki! I like that name more anyways, heheh," Shina brightened up and then got straight to the point, "Ya see, I came all the way here from another world in search of this really important object called the Cosmos Drive. My friend and I looked aaaaaaaall over Gensokyo, and now this is like...one of two places left to check."

"Cosmos Drive..." Shikieiki sounded like there was a spark of familiarity in those words, and muttered them a couple times more while Shina's eyes lit up with hope. Then after a brief pause, she put her rod in her pockets and cupped her hands like she was making a circle in front of her chest.

"I shall now divulge the truth behind your words, Shina Aurora. Stand still, and your heart's secrets shall be laid bare before my Mirror." From a glistening light, the Yama summoned forth a pristine mirror with a rim made to look like a small golden Chinese dragon. It levitated in place and absorbed Shina's reflection before becoming filled with even more light, which Shikieiki herself bathed amongst as Shina just looked utterly baffled as to what was happening.

"Lets see...You lived in a society ruled by a tyrant. He held particular interest in your bloodline to unlock the ultimate power of your race. You wished to escape this fate. Not for yourself, but for your little sister and mother. You saw an opening to escape, and sought to find a power even greater than what the tyrant desired. You endured many trials across many worlds, but never lost your good-natured heart. Oh? But what's this? You weren't alone in your travels. There was another, a young boy...The Elemental Overlord? Yes, it seems you hold him in very high regard, and have vowed to share an eternal bond of love and respect for each other."

Shina felt her cheeks get as red as tomatoes as Shikieiki so easily unraveled the details of her past and cast judgment on them all. All that praise heaped atop each other was nice and all, but it felt like just a teeeeeny bit much by the time she was through.

Shikieiki dispelled the mirror and cast her final judgment with her eyes shut, "Yes, your heart is clean of most sin. But those stains are minor, and should not weigh heavily upon your soul when your time comes."

She then shortly nodded and remarked, "Your story checks out...But I'm afraid you have reached a dead end. That which you seek is elsewhere."

Shina stiffly wiggled her fingers before the center of her chest and muttered "Oh" tiredly under her breath. Her smile wanted to sag, but she propped it up by focusing on properly thanking the Yama for her time, "Well I appreciate your help, Shiki."

She smiled back at her and said, "I will always offer my help to those who need guidance. Perhaps under better circumstances, you could come by and visit, and we could talk some more?"

Shina didn't know what to think of that forward of a request beyond blinking and saying, "Ya sure about that?"

"I see no problem with the occasional visit, but don't make a habit of it." She said in a somewhat humored tone.

"Hehehe, no worries there Shiki! Well...guess I'll head off now. Got one last place to take a lookie-loo and all..."

As she started to turn around and wave the Yama off she said apologetically, "Its a shame that I cannot provide you with some form of compensation for making this terribly long journey out here."

Shina spun around and walked backwards while hollering, "Its ok! Our time may've been brief together, but I'm glad I got to meet ya Shiki!"

Shikieiki enjoyed a hearty chuckle but then quickly yelled out to Shina, "Before you leave!"

Shina paused a bit to lessen the strain on Shiki's poor throat as she made a surprising request, "If that Elemental Overlord is with you, may you tell him to come see me? There is something I wish to see with my own two eyes."

"Huh?" Shina fluttered her eyelashes and haphazardly replied, "Sure? I guess? He's right outside yer doorstep, but..."

She bit her tongue before questioning the Yama's wishes, then shook her head and blurted out, "Yeah I can do it! He'll be right in!"

Then she scurried off to the door, while Shikieiki took up her rod and laid it in perfect balance before the center of her face, contemplating deeply to herself, "The Elemental Overlord's successor...I wonder what you shall be? Black? Or White?"

 _Next Time: Overruled_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Reversal of Judgment**

With Shina busy discussing god knows what with Shikieiki, Alex resigned himself to leaning the door opposite of Komachi. She didn't make a peep about his company, and in fact seemed to like it. But she was too busy wiggling a piece of straw in her mouth and stretching her arms back behind her head to say so.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The stilted flow of air was what bothered Alex the most. His own breathing might've even scared him at this point, that's how bad it was. But if there was anytime to plan out what to say to Shikieiki regarding Yukari, it was now.

" _This isn't going to be easy. She's not just a judge, but a judge of the dead. She'll be very stubborn and hard to reach, but if I just appeal to her sense of justice then there's a sliver of a chance I'll be able to get her assistance."_

It sounded easy enough when voiced in his head. But in practice, would it work out exactly that way? _"Of course not,"_ Alex knew better than to expect **anything** to go his way, _"But that doesn't mean I should think about giving up if she says 'No'. There's too much at stake."_

There'd no doubt be arguing. Not from a clash of ideals, but from a clash of personalities. That's why it was important to think of every possible angle to attack from. He had all the evidence in the universe to have Yukari thrown in Hell under lock and key. He'd just have to convince the Yama that it was all genuine, and not the mad ravings of a paranoid lunatic.

"Hey," Komachi nipped his eardrums with a whisper for attention, "Want to hear a dead person joke?"

Alex squinted his right eye open slightly to humor her with a brief acknowledgement, then crossed his arms tighter and tried to cut her off entirely. Yet she droned on regardless, chuckling even before the joke had begun, "So why did the logger not want to go to Hell?"

" _Kill me now..."_ Alex groaned.

"Because he was tired of dealing with Styx!" Komachi placed her arms against her stomach and burst out laughing. Alex didn't know what was worse, her piggish laughter or that she tried to replace the dead air with a dead joke. Either way, Alex could feel his own skin wanting to peel back into his flesh from how badly he squirmed.

She then rammed her elbow into his shoulder and said, "Alright, now its your turn!"

After restraining his growing murderous urges, Alex bluntly stuck his head up and scoffed at her, "Read the mood reaper, can't you see I'm trying to think?"

"Come on. You gotta have at least one joke in that thick skull of yours!" She smiled as she egged him on, and through the sheer grating force of her pestering Alex submitted to her will just to get her to shut up.

"Ugh fine..." Alex drooped his arms down and closed his eyes, speaking at roughly double the speed he usually does, "A skeleton, a zombie and a ghoul walk into a bar. They all order drinks and have a good time until the bar's set to close. The bartender, a werewolf, asks them to pay their tab, but it turns out all three of them forgot to bring their money, believing their friends would cover the tab for them. The werewolf demands payment, saying after whooping it up so much it'll cost them an arm and a leg. So the skeleton takes off an arm and leg and says 'HERE YOU GO!'"

He then squints his eyes open, maybe just a tiny bit interested to see Komachi's response. She slacks back against the door, shrugs one shoulder up, and lets out a dry cry of "Eh, could use some work."

"Oh go to He-!"

Alex bit his tongue, flared his nostrils, then with a loud 'Hmph!' faced the other way and tried to focus back on something _actually_ worth his goddamn time. Though not long afterwards, the door started to budge, and some hefty grunting came behind it.

Komachi and Alex squinted at the center of it, hearing Shina pleasantly request through the crack, _"Ummm, a little help please?"_

The Shinigami did her duty and pried it open with her scythe. Shina squeezed through prematurely and toppled off-balance for a bit after. She then let out a sigh of relief and started looking around for Alex. It took her a few seconds, but she faced him with a quick hop and leaned forward with a smile.

"How's it hanging Alex?"

"Dead, dead and more dead..." Alex summed it up as best he could, with repetitiuous enunciation.

"That bad huh?" Shina said with a tone of guilt for leaving him by himself.

"Doesn't matter..." But he shrugged it off, like usual. He pulled away from the wall and tucked his hands into his pockets to ask, "So, any luck?"

She laid a hand against the side of her head and let out one very long sigh. Alex closed his eyes, sighed as well, then grumbled to her, "Even the Yama failed us. But on the bright side, that means there's only one place it can be now."

"Uh-huh!" Shina firmly swung her head down and back up, then popped her eyes wide-open and raised a pointer finger straight up next to her face, "Oh yeah! Shiki wanted to talk with ya!"

"She does?" Not that it mattered considering he was going in there anyways but...

"What for?"

"I dunno." Shina hummed with a simple shrug of her hands.

Alex silently looked and waved to Komachi, but she shrugged too. Then she pried the door open once more with her scythe and said, "You're better off just getting it over with."

Alex slacked his hands into his pockets and groaned "May as well..." before slowly trodding through the doors. Komachi closed them the moment he was out of sight, then resumed leaning up against them. Shina folded her arms under her chest and tilted her head around, prompting Komachi to ask her, "Hey, if you don't mind me getting personal for a moment..."

"Oh?" Shina perked up to listen.

The Shinigami propped her scythe over her left shoulder and closed her eyes, "In our profession its commonplace to find humans or Youkai that want to illegally tamper with souls in order gain power or eternal life. I know I said its outside my jurisdiction to touch you guys but..."

"You're referring to the souls Alex's housing, ya?"

Komachi popped her eyes open and fumbled about with her words a bit, "Y-Yeah. So you DO know about them."

She leaned back at the door and had this suspecting smirk at the side of her face, "Between that and all the times his death clock's been reset..."

"Alex isn't that kind of person!" Shina declared in a huff, and swung a fist up close to her chest to show the Shinigami how strongly she felt.

Komachi eased up on that scary look in her eyes and waved a hand about in front of her, "Lighten up will ya? Unless Shikieiki gives me the order, I'm not going to do anything about it."

Shina puffed her cheeks and squinted at her harder, and with a lacksy-daisy shake of the head the Shinigami admitted, "You two were _made_ for each other. Hehe!"

Inside the Ministry, Alex treaded the same boring hall that Shina did. But he didn't care to register the environment around him. Thanks to Komachi wasting his time, he was limited in how much more he could prepare for the approaching "conversation".

The fresher air did help him concentrate, certainly, but being inside the building of what amounted to the afterlife government definitely rubbed him the wrong way.

" _So many dead souls passed through this hall to be judged..."_ And some of the traces of their presence crept across his skin, making the individual hairs stand on end the further he walked.

He trembled, but his expression portrayed a man unperturbed by the stench of the damned lingering in the air. They were distractions piling atop more distractions. That's all they meant to him.

Getting closer felt suffocating, but why? And perhaps it was Alex's imagination, but the hall felt like it was a little too long. He'd been walking for a full minute before realizing that the Yama was only a speck in the distance.

" _What the hell?"_ Its not like he'd been walking that briskly.

" _Guess its just my mind playing tricks on me..."_ He shook his head and kept moving forward, eventually coming within earshot of Shikieiki.

The judge had her rod held in perfect balance before her chest, keeping its tip a centimeter from her chin. She wasn't moving, harkening back to the days when she was a Jizo statue. Her eyes firmly gazed through him like he was a sheet of glass. Yet did she do so to judge? Or was this simply how she passed the time as he approached? Alex wasn't about to prompt her for the answer.

He stopped five feet away and dug his heels into the ground. He stood upright and looked her in the eyes. Her profession earned her that much respect at least. She tilted her head back and looked at him in much the same way. The silence was so thick it'd take the hammer of Thor to break it.

She wasn't as small as Alex had expected. Sure, she was a few inches shorter than him and Shina, but that just made her a runt in comparison to giants. But size was a very unimportant outlier regarding the kind of person she was. The way she stood and held that rod showed how unflinching her conviction was, and her aura would let her endure the weight of a crushing mountain.

But she needed neither of those weapons to win the initial conflict. Her eyes were enough.

Alex closed his eyes, as though a subtle admission of defeat, and dryly spoke her name, "So you're Shikieiki Yamaxanadu."

"I'm not used to being called by my full name. But I'm doubtful that you mean that out of respect." She saw right through him, starting the conversation on a terribly wrong foot for him.

"Lets not go down that road..." Alex bit his teeth together and pushed a word through with terrible strain, "Please."

She closed her eyes and raised her head a bit, then brought her rod to set beside her right hip, "Very well. Then I pray you shall do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

" _A Japanese afterlife judge quoting Christian literature? Now I've heard everything..."_ That humored anecdote aside, Alex had to begrudgingly give her props for wanting to show some restraint, even if it was in her nature to judge.

After tucking his hands into his pockets he asked, "So...you wanted to see me?"

"Yes. This is my first time seeing an Elemental Overlord face-to-face. I can tell just by looking though that you are not his descendant, but a successor to his power."

Alex nodded briefly and mentioned, "Komachi said you weren't alive at the time the old man came to Gensokyo. So how much about him **do** you know though?"

"I know him only for his body count." She was blunt and to-the-point, with an answer that Alex could see coming a mile away.

"So the story I heard **was** true." At least those last lingering doubts were now gone, but had been replaced with questions.

"...Its not my place to ask, I get that but..." Alex looked Shikieiki in the eyes and humbly requested, "Can you judge the Elemental Overlord's soul for me?"

Shikieiki had a pertinent look of surprise on her face as she responded, "Hmmm, I suppose I could, if you were to somehow have it on hand."

Alex planted a hand firmly on his chest and shouted, "He's inside of me right now! So go ahead and use whatever mirror voodoo you've got on him!"

Her surprise deepened further, and as she slowly performed the motions to prepare her mirror in place she commented, "I will leave the matter of why you have his soul for later. For now just stand still, and I shall divine the truth in either black or white."

She closed her eyes to focus on the power of her mirror, where the light of divine providence spiraled into view on its peerless glass reflection. Alex had to lift an arm up just to avoid being blinded, and even then some of the light managed to slip on through.

"Hrrmm, there are many souls inside of your body beyond his. They try to block the path of judgment but in vain. For there is no truth my mirror **cannot** perceive!" The roar of her authority shook the building whole, and Alex felt his knees tremble as her judgment underwent.

As soon as the act had begun it was over, and she stood silent in reflection upon what the mirror had revealed. A single drop of sweat trickled from the side of her face, and her lips quivered as though unconsciously reacting to something she saw. Yet when the time came to divulge what she knew, her body returned to its statuesque state of being, and she firmly gazed at the boy's face.

"He was a man with a stained heart...But in his final moments, he cleansed the black from his soul," She dispelled her mirror, and made the decisive call, "He is a just soul. That is all I can reveal."

"That's it?" Alex rubbed the back of his head and sighed, "I thought I'd get to hear a little more about him..."

She closed her eyes and wisely informed him, "It is not my place to speak aloud the memories of the departed. But if even a flicker of life resides in that dead soul, then you are welcome to ask him whatever you need to hear."

" _Yeah, like he'd comply."_ Alex let out a long sigh. Half if it was meant for the disappointment of her judgment, while the other half served as a last second preparation for what was to come next.

Now that Shikieiki's request had been dealt with, the true confrontation would begin. A battle of wits, his stubbornness versus her unconquerable resolve. And for the many many MANY hang-ups he had with people like her, he'd have to treat this topic with some degree of restraint if he wanted to succeed.

Shikieiki closed her eyes and remarked, "That is all I needed of you. You're free to co-"

"Hold up a second." Alex raised one hand up and she stopped turning away. He then made it abundantly clear that assisting someone can sometimes be a two-way street, "I didn't come all this way just because you asked for me. There's something I want from you as well, Shikieiki."

Shikieiki crossed her brows and stood with her side pointed towards him. He had started her off in a foul mood, as evidenced by the way she spoke, "Are you making demands to a Yama?"

To resort to holding the weight of her title against him meant that Alex had screwed up majorly. So to fix his mistake he forced himself to dial the sass back and change up his sentence a little, "I-I meant I had a request I wanted to make, if you'd be willing to hear me out."

She closed her eyes and made a brief smile before remarking plainly, "That's better."

She brought her rod to the very center of her chest and stood in attention without letting the differences in their positions stand between them, "Say your peace, Elemental Overlord."

" _Ok, this is good..."_ He thought optimistically. Might this go better than expected? It was too soon to judge with certainty but...At least one of the hardest parts is out of the way.

After crossing his arms he reaffirmed everything he needed to say and briefly nodded his head, noticing that even someone like Shikieiki could lose some of her patience. He then waggled a hand out and began making his case.

"I don't know how much Shina told you about our journey..."

"I saw much when I peered into her heart." She interrupted, but then bowed slightly and apologized, "Forgive my interruption."

He shook his head and quickly breathed in relief, "No. No that's fine! That saves me a lot of trouble explaining shit!"

She glared at him for the coarse tongue, thus stalling his explanation for a bit. After a gulp he stammered, "A-Anyways...As you saw, ever since we started this journey we've been hounded by this mysterious force."

"Yes. A powerful and terrifying force seemed to follow your every move. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before..." In the face of identifying that enigmatic power, Shikieiki showed not a hint of fear.

"But that's the thing...Its very possible you have seen this power before." Alex's absolute certainty in this proclamation piqued the Yama's intrigue, and she peeked at him with one eye open.

"Go on..."

At her urging, he continued without pause, "For the longest time Shina and I tried to piece together who this mysterious entity was. She didn't have any connections to the worlds we went to, but knew enough about them to setup havoc before we ever got there."

He laid a hand against his hip and closed his eyes, "The trail to the Cosmos Drive led us to Gensokyo...And unknowingly to the front doorstep of the mastermind's home."

Shikieiki didn't budge in the slightest. Was she piecing stuff together, or was what he saying not good enough? Not that Alex cared, cause he was just getting started.

"Through information we gathered from the residents of the world, I was finally able to determine the mastermind's identity."

He began to pace back and forth while staring at the ground, emulating the final moment of deduction the great sleuths of old tended to undergo, "It should've been obvious from the start. A person with the capacity to easily warp dimensions to get to other worlds, someone with the knowledge and foresight to avoid being caught out in the open, and finally...Someone who'd only care about themselves."

Alex thrust his pointer finger out towards Shikieiki and declared their name, "The culprit is...One Yukari Yakumo from Gensokyo!"

Shikieiki closed her eyes and thought on that for a little while with her mouth puckered a bit. She then hummed while curving her hands before her chest, "I will need the confirm the legitimacy of your story."

As she called her mirror up Alex flashed a cocky smirk and crossed his arms, "Go right ahead!"

The mirror of the Yama was absolute. Yukari may have been playing the long game, but she screwed up at this critical juncture. Once Shikieiki saw everything he had seen, her game was over. Done. Finished. And Alex couldn't be anymore excited to see her tiresome meddling come to a screeching halt after all the crap he had to put up with.

With the Yama's mirror casting its judging light upon his soul, Alex closed his eyes and basked in it. You could daresay that he dared it to observe and make judgment on everything it saw. How bold, but how foolish as well.

Alex seemed to forget one very important detail about her mirror. Sure, while it does reflect the person's past and transmits the information to Shikieiki for judgment...It has to also judge the person of whom that past belongs to in the process.

And as the light faded from the Yama's mirror, Alex could feel that something was off and instinctively peered his eyes open, only to be greeted by a reflection of pure black in the mirror. His heart skipped a beat, and his cocky demeanor staggered. With his arms laid flat against his hips he quietly stuttered, "W-What...?"

Yet this startling revelation did little to affect Shikieiki's initial assessment, "Despite the taint of black on your soul, your story is the truth..."

But as she put her mirror away, she closed her eyes and murmured the last thing Alex wanted to hear, "But your story does not prove that the culprit is Yukari Yakumo."

The final judgment of his soul wasn't important in the face of such an appalling dismissive remark. Upon gritting his teeth he swung his arms out and exclaimed, "W-What?! Why the hell not?!"

She stood completely still as she dictated her reasoning, "There is a probability that your assessment is correct, but many things do not add up...And your theory lacks the decisive evidence needed to fully pinpoint her as the culprit."

" _...You've got to be shitting me."_ Alex's was swiftly walking on thin ice when it came to his patience, and as his face crinkled up in anger he yelled at the Yama some more, "Decisive evidence?! Everything I said. Everything you saw! That should be more than enough to implicate her in these crimes!"

"Speculation and conjecture are not definitive proof." She responded simply.

"What, is Hecatia's word not good enough?" Alex tried to leverage the weight of his stance by using someone the Yama would know, and for a brief moment she did remain silent in her thoughts. Yet inevitably, her answer would be against Alex's desires.

"...Lady Hecatia holds a lot of power in the Ministry, but even her word would be considered speculative in this instance," Shikieiki closed her eyes and tried to reach out to the part of Alex that she saw as patient and calm, "And even if you were to provide me with the decisive evidence to implicate Yukari Yakumo, what am I supposed to do about it?"

Alex bit his teeth down hard enough to wear into the enamel as he growled fiercely into her face, "Your goddamn job, that's what!"

She put her foot down, and put it down hard. Then she swung the rod towards his face, as though commanding a mad dog to heel, and told him bluntly while yet maintaining her calm demeanor, "My job is to judge the dead as they come through my doors, and direct them to their final resting place. I may be the law, but that doesn't mean I am to be made a weapon to incarcerate every villain and ne'er-do-well that happens to come by."

Alex was trembling, the rage swelling up inside his body until he was set to burst. He KNEW this would happen. He knew and even still it pissed him the hell off that she'd say this things right to his face. But everything hadn't been tried yet. There had to be some semblance of hope that Shikieiki would see reason. His reason.

He closed his eyes, trying to evade the sight of her stern authority as he gruffly pleaded, "There has to be some way you can punish that witch! She's caused chaos on other worlds, threatened innocent lives for her own amusement!"

He clenched his fist up before his chest, "Hell! You don't even have to use my account to implicate her! She kidnaps humans from the Outside World and feeds on them all the time!"

"And that is her nature as a Youkai. But if what you say about her actions on other worlds is true, then her soul will be judged as such when she dies."

"She. Already. DIED!" He roared as veins bulged from around his knuckles.

The seriousness of his voice made Shikieiki bat an eye at him and remark, "...What are you talking about?"

"Yukari _supposedly_ perished a couple years ago, according to Mamizou, but managed to come back to life. Waiting for her to die from natural causes is pointless, cause that bitch'll cheat death any chance she gets!"

Shikieiki looked down for a moment, but that tiny shred of doubt was cast aside almost instantly by her logic, "If Yukari Yakumo were to ever cheat death, there'd be no escape for her. Either a Shinigami or a Kishin would have been sent to deal with her offense."

"So she escapes scrutiny only because in your eyes there's no 'proof' of her crimes outside of Gensokyo, and her crimes **in** Gensokyo can just be swept under the rug because 'She's a Youkai, of course its ok for her to _commit cannibalism_.'"

Alex squeezed out an unease scowl as a couple tears began to flow from his eyes. The mix of anger and disappointment was getting too hard for him to control, and he began begging to Shikieiki, "W-Why...Why won't you listen to me?! I didn't do anything to deserve this treatment!"

"Your black soul paints a different story." Shikieiki said the magic words. That was _exactly_ what Alex wanted to hear. Now he had little reason to feel disappointed, because the Yama was behaving just how someone in her position would behave. Viewing the world in only black and white, she wouldn't budge on her conviction for even a second. Any views of justice she had were a complete farce, being nothing more than a set of rules she followed like some collared dog.

In spite of all the rage and righteous indignation he felt towards Shikieiki's now, Alex was forced still by the thrust of her rod as she spelled out the weight of his sins in very fine detail.

"A blantant disregard for property..."

" _So what?! I was supposed to let innocent lives be snuffed out by the millions?!"_

"Picking countless fights with authority figures and heroes from other worlds..."

" _I HAD my reasons for doing what I did!"_

"Breaking and entering into government facilities uninvited, stealing from stores, having a completely unpleasant attitude towards others..."

" _I-I...If I didn't do things the way I did, the bad guys would've kept getting away with their plots...I saved worlds from destruction. Does that seriously not count for a goddamn FUCKING thing?!"_

"And most importantly, you allowed your second personality to go on a rampage, possibly endangering the lives of millions and-"

"YOU THINK I HAD A CHOICE?!" Alex's scream shook the Ministry and made even Shikieiki go silent. His face became bright red as the back of his throat felt dry and hoarse.

He squeezed his fists until his fingernails started to dig into his skin, then did the unthinkable and denied the Yama's absolute judgment, "Maybe I did things you'd consider unsavory...But I saved millions of lives, all to stop someone who came from the world YOU'RE supposed to be watching over. So to **Hell** with your crappy judgment."

Shikieiki pissed Alex off one final time too many by closing her eyes and remaining resolute in her justice, "I'm sorry you feel that way. It is not as though I am saying that you are eternally damned, nor that your heroics hold no merit. But it is only by reflecting upon your mistakes and seeking to change yourself that you can cleanse your soul. This is the good deed you can do right now."

She then started to turn away, as though it was time to wash her hands of this matter entirely. But not without saying one last thing to the boy, "I wish you well in your future endeavors, Elemental Overlord."

Her wishes of good will was a faint noise in his ears, for it drowned amongst a flourishing tempest of rage. Alex couldn't let it end, not like this. He REFUSED to let it end like this.

" _No...No!"_ All the times he'd seen Yukari's corruptive influence consume other worlds flashed vividly through his mind. He gripped his fists tight and swung his head back, then flailed it around as what truly got to him came crawling to the forefront of his mind.

Shina had **died** because of Yukari. And if nothing was done about that, then Alex might...Alex might...

" _Fwoosh!"_

Shikieiki was frozen stiff by the sound of rising flames, and peeked over her shoulder. Alex had drawn his sword in both hands, holding it shakily before his waist as furious tears were drawn from his bloodshot eyes. He grit his teeth, facing the judge with a quiet, melancholic rage...and all his determination.

"...You would threaten the Yamaxanadu?" Shikieiki stared back with eyes of black ice colder than the coldest winter.

Alex stared at Shikieiki for a bit, then slowly looked down at his sword and his mouth trembled agape. His skin paled as a quiet, devilish laugh echoed in his mind, and then he dispelled the sword and took a couple steps back while shaking his hands out.

"N-No...! No...! I-I swear I didn't..."

Shikieiki wasn't believing him for a second...And to hell with trying to get her to believe anything her said. All that mattered was his last desperate ploy to get her to see otherwise. This world's irreversible variable, the proclamation that even the Yama could not ignore.

After steadying his feet and breath, Alex swung his right hand up and declared, "Shikieiki Yamaxanadu, I challenge you to a Spell Card Duel!"

Now this was truly one for the photo album. Shikieiki's eyes widened to the size of quarters, and she swung her rod back and declared with abject ridicule, "And what do you hope to accomplish with this act, Elemental Overlord?"

He clenched his fist up and stared at her with eyes partway shut, "If I win, then you'll help me deal with Yukari Yakumo. If I lose...then do whatever you want, I don't give a shit."

"...Your conviction can neither be approved not dissuaded. It seems it will take a more active force to get you to realize the error of your ways." Shikieiki's stance changed as she swung her rod straight out to the right. Now it was not that of the tempered judge, but one of a fighter.

Under the shadow of her cap, her eyes glistened with her absolute justice. And then like the thunderclap, her voice echoed across the Ministry, "Very well Elemental Overlord, I accept your challenge. And you will lose."

Alex put his fists up and watched as she rose off the ground. She point her rod forth, pressuring him with the power of remorse. He stood his ground, waiting for her to cut the scare tactics and show him what she's got. She drew her mirror once more, but used it to create a Spell Card from Alex's reflection.

"Face the weight of your soul, Elemental Overlord, and in this truth may you find salvation," She poked the back of her card with her rod and declared its name, "Cleansed Crystal Judgment -Alex Whiter-!"

Three ripples of light echoed from the mirror as it duplicated into three of itself. Each duplication became a separate, perfect clone of Alex Whiter. He widened his eyes at them for a moment, then scoffed at their presence. It was the tactics of a coward, a parlor trick to send a message about 'facing his sins'.

" _Clones, against me? I don't have to worry about them anyways..."_

He immediately punched at the air with fists like gatling guns to send plenty of fireballs towards Shikieiki, the true target. She glided her rod across the air and the Alexs moved appropriately to defend her, then pulled their hands back and began charging flames around their palms.

This kept them motionless, and thus Alex leapt ten feet right in an instant and attacked Shikieiki with bolts of lightning pounded out of his hammer-like palms. The flashes of light did more to make her flinch than the attacks themselves, and with another graceful movement of her hand the Alexs turned and blasted their massive fireballs his way.

He managed to evade only one by running, and the others struck hard and deep into his very soul. He could feel his signs rising like fire in his chest, and weakening his ability to run. That tiny bit of faltering wasn't going to stop him though, and after a sharp turn past the fading fire he dashed towards Shikieiki and threw his own fireballs along the way.

She kept to commanding the Alexs like puppets, and they absorbed the fireballs with ease. Then they released the fire from their bodies as many spiraling ring of embers. Most of them struck Alex with shocking precision, halting the speed of his attacks to a pitiful crawl.

He backed away suddenly, surprising even himself, then resumed his attacks by targeting Shikieiki from above with a sudden bolt of lightning. She waved her rod around to trace the shape of a triangle and the Alexs made that formation around her. Their bodies crackled with electricity, then let it loose in one widespread burst with little room to evade.

" _Ghhh!"_ The Danmaku continued to hurt on a physical and spiritual level, but Alex trudged on. He slammed the ground with both his hands, and a geyser of water followed by a sharp stalactite erupted below Shikieiki to strike her with all they got.

But like the shore, they crashed against her and were broken.

The Alexs sent forth more elements to pester Alex, filling the air with unavoidable but tiny droplets of rain while throwing pebbles out faster than normal bullets. Alex found himself folding his arms up, a futile effort if there ever was one.

He responded by lashing his arms out with such friction as to send hurricane gales towards his ridicule worthy copies and their puppetmaster. Shikieiki's body stood without motion, save for the actions she wished to partake in. And thus with perfect dictation she commanded the Alexs together and hold their hands palm against palm. They acted as her wall, and her cannons.

Their empty eyes angered Alex immensely. Was this her mockery, or the mirror's true perception of the kind of person he was? Who. Cares. Just keep attacking, that's all Alex had to do.

He rapidly fired fireballs around his replicas to attack Shikieiki while running from place-to-place, trying to trick the clones into not following him. But denial of reality was truly foolhardy here. They **were** perfect reflections, and could predict every move he made without flaw.

Thus when the three Alexs fully charged their flames, there was no escape for the real deal. A tidal wave of fire swept over his body, drowning out the sounds of the world around him. And the weight of his sins dealt a powerful internal blow that drained his will to move or fight back. Shikieiki withdrew her rod, and so too did the Alexs disappear into the void.

There was no point prolonging the duel any longer. Alex collapsed onto his knees with his eyes shaking and wide open, then fell flat on his back, defeated.

Her victory was clear and decisive. Alex didn't even defeat one of her Spell Cards, and it was plain to see why. Everyone else treated Danmaku like a game. She did not. There wasn't a reason for her to make fancy patterns or fool around.

She IS the Law. And as long as she is, her power is absolute as well.

Alex never stood a chance. He knew this deep deep down, and yet he tried to change inevitability in his favor. Now he lied on the ground, a broken mess paralyzed by the frightful chill of his sins, with the judge's quiet footsteps sending further shivers down his spine.

Her verdict had been decided for him before the duel had begun, and she would now deliver it unto him as though he was one of the damned. This fear in his heart...Now he understood why the souls that haunted this place touched him. It had been his last chance to escape and avoid her absolute judgment...

Yet she did not point her rod at him with anger, but with pity. How hollow such sympathy is to a puppet as broken as he...

"Alex Whiter, as punishment for raising arms against a Yama...I shall sentence you to a few months of solitude in Hell to reflect upon your actions. Perhaps a taste of what your future could be like shall help bring you salvation."

Alex weakly squeezed his eyes shut and wanted to cry.

" _Its just not fair...! I try...and I try...and I TRY so goddamn hard to do the right thing, and EVERY. TIME. Something bites me in the ass!"_

He was sick of it. Just plain SICK of it.

" _And now I'm going be sent to hell for a goddamn time out?! Why?! Because I wanted to punish that bitch of a witch...?! She's the criminal, and I'M going to jail?! This isn't right...this isn't right god FUCKING damn it!"_

The indignation and rage could all be boiled down to a singular point that infuriated Alex beyond recognition, _"And when we're so close to the end...! A-Am I really going to fail Shina...this close to the end? I-I...don't have time for this bullshit!"_

And then realization struck him hard, reigniting the vigor in his brain like a hot iron. He pulled from the depths of his mind a startling truth of what was happening. Being lured to Gensokyo through the Cosmos Drive, the appearance of Shadow Junko and reemergence of Yatagarasu, all the stories relayed to him through Mamizou, Eirin and Hecatia, and now the Shikieiki's judgment in black...

Yukari had played everyone like a fiddle just to get **him** to this moment.

Seconds from now, everything he'd have done would be for naught. Once Shikieiki banished him to Hell, even for that brief of time, there'd be no chance of getting the Cosmos Drive in time. Shina would fail, Gravitus would win, and he'd have truly lost everything...She'd never forgive him. HE'D never forgive him...And like Yukari said to him so long ago...When he had nothing, when he was nothing...Then he'd truly deserve to die by his own hands.

It **would** have been the perfect trap, had Alex not caught it at the last moment. But this meant only one thing...Gensokyo wasn't safe. Everyone here had been ensnared in Yukari's manipulations, even Shikieiki Yamaxanadu, who the wicked witch should never been able to lay a hand on.

Knowing this...there was only one thing Alex could do.

Before the judgment was made decisive, Alex swiped his right hand up and splashed flames against Shikieiki's face. She recoiled and was temporarily blinded, for to her even the hottest flames were like sand. Yet from that motion Alex spun around and rose to his knees, gritting his teeth and muttering under his breath, "I'm...I'm sorry...!"

He ran, and ran, and ran. If his soul wasn't condemned to Hell it was now. But it didn't matter to him. He couldn't let Yukari have her way with him!

Upon recovering Shikieiki swung her rod towards the door and yelled with all her righteous fury, "KOMACHI! DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!"

Outside the door, both Komachi and Shina were puzzled by her echoing wail until Alex smashed right through the door, knocking it into the River Styz. Shina froze up and stuttered in fear, "A-Alex?! What's going-"

"There's no time to explain! We need to get out of here, NOW!" Alex grabbed onto her waist and carried her under his body as he took off flying towards the river.

After dispelling the surprise Komachi licked her lips, shook her head, and dashed for her boat. She got on it and barreled after them.

Alex held on tight to Shina and tried to search for the exit. Along the way, she squeezed her arms around his waist and pleaded for some answers, "Alex, please tell me what's happening!"

"We fell for the mastermind's trap Shina! Everyone in Gensokyo are their puppets!"

"W-W-W...WHAT?!" The rush of information was difficult to comprehend, and left Shina dizzying. As if the speed of Alex's flight hadn't done that enough already.

She looked back, and saw Komachi rapidly coming in closer with her scythe reeled back to strike them down. Shina swung her hand back and yelled, "Komachi's gaining fast!"

" _Fuck! Her powers!"_ The rush of this escape gave Alex quick thinking on how to deal with Komachi's ability. He began to reach for his pocket, but first exclaimed to the one he loved, "HANG ON TIGHT...AND DON'T LET GO!"

"I-I won't!" She trusted him with everything, even her life, and he would not betray that trust because it was all he had left at this point. As she clung on with all her might Alex reached for his pocket and touched the Gaia Temporis.

" _Catch us when you can't even see us, bitch!"_ He activated its power and time stopped completely around him and Shina. Komachi's power held no thrall in the frozen time, and the two of them slingshot way down the River Styz in record time. But as it seemed they'd reach the exit, much to Alex's surprise, a wide open black gap caught them both and flung them to somewhere else entirely...Where to, you may ask? Well, that's for next time, isn't it?

Time resumed, and Komachi quickly halted her boat upon realizing she had been outwitted somehow. She hung her scythe over her shoulder and let out a hefty sigh.

"Welp, I deserve a lecture for this screw up..." She quietly made her way back to the Ministry, where she found her boss standing outside the doors with one hand on her face, covering the slight singed marks Alex had left.

"Yo Shiki, you ok?" Komachi remarked with mild concern, only to be met with silence.

"...Shiki?" After Komachi tilted her head, the Yama closed her eyes and wearily responded, "I'm fine..."

She then leaned against the door and pondered aloud, "...Have you ever doubted my judgments, Komachi?"

The Shinigami leaned down and chuckled, "You're always right. That's why you're the Yama."

Shikieiki looked towards the sky and murmured, "That boy more than earned his black soul now but...When I performed my initial assessment, something felt...Different."

"Different?" Shikieiki's doubt was a cause of concern for Komachi, "Different how?"

"Like it was not my mirror that revealed the truth of his soul..." As she looked ready to collapse from exhaustion, Komachi swept Shikieiki off her feet, held her in both her arms, and flashed her a caring smile.

"You've been running yourself ragged Shiki. Come on, lets go do something fun for once to unwind!"

Shikieiki blushed, yet another rare sight to behold, but was too tired to whisper a 'No'. Komachi grinned from ear-to-ear, then carried her boss off to parts unknown.

...And perhaps you'll realize that the Phoenix of Destruction is not the only one who should reflect upon their sins, Shikieiki Yamaxanadu.

 _Next Time: Nowhere to Run_


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Clash Against Ghostly Steel**

It was a bumpy trip through the gap Alex and Shina had flown into. By the time they were out they were already on a downward spiral to the ground, the experience having left Alex unable to focus on his flying. But he saw the ground fast approaching, and with the seconds he had to spare he fought the air velocity to point his back at the ground and brace for impact.

The crash hit his spine the hardest, biting his teeth down on the very tip of his tongue. He hissed through the pain and kept a tight grip on Shina so she wouldn't go flying. She was scared, trembling even, and could only let out a high-pitched gasp of fright as it felt like the ground would soon collapse.

It took some time for things to settle down and either of them to dare check where they had landed. Alex let go of Shina first, letting her stand up on her shaky legs beside him. She then grabbed onto his right hand and tugged with all her might to pull him free of the crater he just made.

His backside was sore all over, and he had a terrible headache. The last two minutes were an utter blur and devoid of any degree of sense. First he had stopped time to escape Komachi's pursuit, then the next thing he knew there was nothing but darkness, and finally the two had been shunted off to a place seemingly detached from the rest of Gensokyo.

That couldn't be further from the truth. They were still in Gensokyo, but it was a part that was rarely ventured into. The skies mimicked the darkness of nighttime without a veil of clouds hanging overhead. The sun had never touched these lands, which were black as pitch, and the only source of light shone from the winding staircase directly in front of them.

The steps were grey, alit by the hand-sized violet wisps that lined its sides. From a brief glance they seemed to stretch towards eternity, but upon reaching the top of the hill they were laid out across Alex could see a pale blue luminescence guiding them towards it with an otherworldly allure. When all this combined with the haunting puffs of fog spread across this canvas of harrowing sights, Alex knew where they had arrived.

" _The Netherworld..."_ He murmured internally with a disturbed grumble. He crossed his arms and felt the creeping of undead spirits along his skin, and their whispers penetrated his ears deep enough to freeze his legs cold.

Shina was catching her breath, her chest heaving far with every puff of air she sucked in. Alex turned to her, guilted by the look of panic in her eyes, and tried to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder while whispering her name. But she gently patted it aside, released a heavy sigh, then raised her head with an increase in fear and whispered, "Alex...what's going on?"

He backed off a bit and closed his eyes. His lip curled a bit all on its own, and once she looked at his face it curled in tighter until he was almost biting it. After coiling a fist close to her chest she demanded from him as politely as she could, "Please Alex, tell me what happened with Shikieiki!"

She deserved to know, having been swept in the chaos. It was just difficult for him to put the right words in his mouth without mentioning...

" _No, forget it. I can't keep this hidden any longer."_ The guilt was tearing him up inside, threatening to leave him hollow.

...So in a surprising move, he would tell her everything he had learned, though started by clarifying the recent events.

"Shikieiki was about to send me to Hell for a few months in hopes of rehabilitating me." Alex crossed his arms slowly as Shina widened her eyes and gasped. Her eyes were pale, frightened, and the slow response time told him enough about how hesitant she was to ask more.

He'd just have to do it willingly himself, no matter how much it'd pain both of them to do so, "...It probably didn't help that I challenged her verdict on my soul."

Shina lowered her hand from her mouth and murmured, "She judged it black, didn't she?"

"Yes," Alex didn't pause, and faced the disbelief in her eyes even though having a heart that felt faint, "But it wasn't just her judgment. It was her sheer refusal to help us combat the mastermind that pissed me off."

He bit his teeth down and hissed through a scathing scowl of self-doubt, "I-I wasn't thinking straight! I know I shouldn't have done what I did, but I did it anyways...And I almost fell victim to the mastermind's trap."

Shina opened her mouth with a hand raised towards him, then retracted it and turned around. She wanted to think alone for a bit, and would be granted that silent request. Alex painfully closed his eyes and thought about what he had done. Hell was a fate he deserved after that crap he pulled. It wasn't just a betrayal of his vow to uphold justice, but he had almost turned the one he loved into a co-conspirator to his crimes. And worst of all, had he been incapable of feeling guilt, she would've gone the rest of her life not knowing of his lie.

She had every right to be pissed, but instead clutched her hands in a cross before her chest and asked firmly and quietly, "Alex, you figured out who the mastermind is, didn't you?"

Alex widened his eyes and didn't blink for a few seconds. Shina had always been pretty perceptive underneath that goofy, laid-back exterior of hers, but he had assumed he'd hidden that bit pretty damn well.

" _I suppose this is the kind of thing only a love one'd be able to deduce..."_ He mildly sighed and then gave her a brief nod.

After turning back around she said with a quiet mix of disappointment and confusion, "I knew it."

Then punctuated it with a firm but calm inquiry, "How long?"

He responded immediately, "Ever since I talked with Mamizou...Sort of. It took until meeting Hecatia to fully confirm who they were."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked while squeezing her fist tight to her chest and hiding her eyes by keeping her head hung.

There was no right answer there. Alex felt himself trapped, compelled to say the immediate thing on his mind to try and justify what he did, "I've always been their target. It didn't feel right involving you when you're so close to-"

Shina whipped a pair of fingers hard against his forehead and caused him to wince with an 'Ow!' She then puffed her cheeks slightly with her eyes looking watery. Her expression was a rather childish way of showing anger, but it hurt all the same to see.

"Don't make those kinda excuses Alex!" She started wagging a finger right in his face like she was suddenly his mother while also berating him delicately, "The moment you said you loved me, your problems became my problems and vice versa!"

She then pressed her knuckles against her hips and leaned in closer to his face, telling him in no better terms, "So forget the mastermind! If ya got a problem, you tell me immediately, got that?"

Alex closed his eyes and felt like a total dolt. She was right. Absolutely, unequivocally right. If he thought so little of her as to not entrust her with the mastermind's identity, then what was ever the point of admitting that he loved her?

"I'm sorry Shina," His response was heartfelt and tough to speak without feeling the urge to cry. Shina backed up a tiny bit as he poured his heart out to her, "I swear I didn't mean you any harm. And I promise you, I'll be more open with you from now on."

She smiled brightly and giggled, "That's all I wanted to hear from ya Alex."

That simplistic resolution only could've been possible with someone special like her. He really didn't deserve that, but would strive to be better someday.

Shina then stood up, leaned her hands behind her back, and inquired, "Soooo who is it? Who's the mastermind?"

"Yukari Yakumo." Alex stated immediately.

Shina's eyes swung wide open, and her mouth drooped halfway open. She took a few moments to register the information in her head, then slapped the side of her face and gasped, "Oh my GOD! H-How did we not figure this out sooner?!"

"...Don't feel bad, I thought the same thing when I figured it out." Alex sighed.

Shina then clutched her fists up by her chest and pondered many questions, "But what I don't get is...why she's so adamant about screwing you over? Or how'd she get ahold of all the artifact pieces? And how'd she use that strange aura? And-"

"There'll be plenty of time to ask **her** directly," Alex haphazardly brushed his right hand out and remarked, "Didn't you notice where we are?"

She looked the way he gestured and let out a shocked gasp, "We're in the Netherworld?!"

"Yeah, isn't that just convenient?" Alex commented, "Last place we need to check for the Cosmos Drive also happens to be a place our mastermind tends to frequent?"

"Its not a coincidence, its an outright declaration to 'Come and find me'."

Shina turned towards him and pointed at the top of the stairs from under her chest, "So ya think Yukari's waiting for us at the very top?"

"Yep."

Shina tilted her head and looked positively baffled to be saying this with a straight face, "With the Cosmos Drive too?"

"More than likely. It would explain why the artifact's not given off a reaction so far."

"...Who the FUCK does she think she ?!" Shina proclaimed while stamping her feet on the ground, throwing Alex completely for a ride.

"S-Shina?!"

She bitterly puffed her cheeks and glared at Alex, "No I'm serious! She's been playing cat 'n mouse with us this whole time, and using the last hope of my people as the friggin' bait!"

She tightly clenched her right fist up and with a smile that could match his in ferocity she declared, "So I say its time we snag her bait and shove it right where the sun don't shine!"

Alex grinned and folded his arms with a smirk, "Heh, couldn't have said it better myself."

They faced the formidable staircase head-on and bent their knees down, then ran right for it. As soon as they set foot on the steps a swarm of Fairies descended from the sky like snow. They were much stronger than the ones they briefly saw at the start of their visit, and fired Danmaku from their entire bodies in spherical waves.

Shina quickly activated the Gunslinger Drive while Alex drew his sword, the both of them striking back while zipping around the bullets. Their time was better served talking some more.

"I'm still tryin' ta wrap my head around why ya attacked Shiki." Shina remarked.

Alex flipped through a bunch of bullets and spun around to send multiple bolts of lightning to blow away the fairies surrounding him, then responded upon landing, "We had a Spell Card Duel before she decided she'd lock me away, just saying."

"That doesn't answer my question Alex..." Shina sighed while blowing away a whole group with a rocket launcher blast.

"Fine," Alex bit his teeth as he dug his feet into the ground and swiped the air, throwing the fairies on a collision course with the stairs due to a sudden gale, "I had to do it to escape the Ministry...Plus, it seemed like it was Yukari's plan to trap me in Hell for a bit so you'd never be able to reach the Cosmos Drive."

"Huh? Ya sure about that? Cause then if that's so, why bring us here?"

"Because I managed to escape, so she must've figured 'Screw it!' and decided to finally get off her ass and deal with me personally."

"Guess that makes sense, but ya really gotta work on not going hog wild on government officials Alex!"

"I know, I know!" Alex scoffed with some deep embarrassment towards himself, "But its not easy dealing with those stiff lipped assholes!"

Alex smashed the ground after leaping over some bullets, blowing away at least a dozen fairies without getting in Shina's way. But as she kept the pace going forward, something about the logic Shina brought to the table struck him as...curious.

Yet before he could bring it to mind fully, he felt a powerful energy coming at them fast. Zipping back and forth down the steps was a towering, silvery wave of pure sharp energy. It moved so fast that even the sound was sucked in, creating this dreadfully hollow vacuum.

"What the hell?!" Alex declared as he and Shina narrowly escaped getting caught up in its rampage. The fairies succumbed, but they're immortal anyways so they'd wake up later with a mild headache.

Pressing on further up the stairs, more of those waves kept coming to impede their progress. Some hugged the sides of the steps, others zigzagged back and forth, but they were all just as fast as the others and equally as deadly.

"So this is her opening act huh? Can't say I'm impressed!" Alex said while chomping his teeth down and hissing as he narrowly avoided getting sliced in twine.

"Who's even sending these? I didn't hear no Danmaku chime sound off, that's for sure!"

"This is definitely NOT Danmaku." Alex said while widening his eyes at her even humoring the idea.

Nevertheless, their ceaseless sprinting quickly brought them to the top of the stairs, where the source of the luminescence became obvious. The pathway from here-on-out was surrounded by cherry blossom trees with bright lilac colored petals as dense as fireflies, while at the end of the path loomed a tall and terrifying tree drowned in the shadows of the lights surrounding it. It had a thick trunk and not a single petal or leaf to its name, but even while stagnant this tree covered the Netherworld in an atmosphere of dread.

Alex and Shina looked around for any signs of life, but were caught unawares by a deep and virtuous voice yelling at them from above, "I won't let you get any closer!"

Then two more massive waves of that energy swiped on by beside them, but stalled in place to create walls of continuously slicing force. Before the two even humored the idea of escaping, the areas behind, front and above them were sealed off by similar energy.

Finally the person responsible zipped into view in front of them and pushed the sword they held into a black sheath. The wind they created from running suddenly swept up a ton of dust from the stone path, briefly obscuring their assailant's appearance.

But its not like it'd be hard to figure out who they were. There was only one swordsman in all of Gensokyo capable of attacking and moving this fast. She had short silver hair in a bob cut, bright red eyes, and a formless white phantom floating besides her. She wore a dark green and white dress with several ghost insignias along her sides and her breast pocket. A black ribbon was tied off-center in her hair and behind her waist were two sheathes, one long and one short.

Mastery of one blade was exceptional in of itself, but a mastery of two put her on a whole other playing field from her peers in the sword. Her runt-like size shouldn't leave her underestimated, she was the trusted guardian and gardener of this place for a reason. And her name is...

"I, Youmu Konpaku, will be your opponent!" She declared with a firm grip on the handles of both her swords at once, her body bent in a stance that showed a readiness to spring forth at even the slightest hint of motion from her opponents.

 **Youmu Konpaku ~ The Phantom of Sharpened Steel**

"So you're our first obstacle..." Alex grumbled, taking into consideration all that the half-ghost gardener was capable of and thinking so little of her regardless. As he rubbed the back of his head, she proved unamused by his assessment.

"Your first and your last. As long as you stand ready to threaten Lady Yuyuko, my blades shall not yield." Her eyes carried this glint similar to diamond's, showing the strength of her resolve. But her words were bewildering, given why the two were here.

"Yuyuko? We're not here for her, not at all!" Shina blurted out, then was swiftly punctured by the glare Youmu shot forth from her narrowing eyes.

"I'd sooner believe a tanuki than the likes of you." Youmu firmly stated.

Alex rolled his eyes and swung his left hand out with to create a fireball, "We really don't have time for these shenanigans."

The moment he launched it out it was caught up in the forcefield and sliced to unrecognizable bits until Alex could no longer even feel the presence of its energy. He widened his eyes, mildly impressed. Youmu then explained in perhaps unnecessary detail, "I have trained long and hard to create this impenetrable wall. Escape only if you feel brave enough to survive being diced down to your bare atoms!"

Alex wagged his hand around and humored the gardener's ploy, "So what you're saying is that the only way out's through you?"

"Defeating me will undo the barrier, but the odds of your victory are zero," Youmu drew her longest weapon, a katana, in her right hand and flashed its peerless silver blade before their eyes while boasting, "For the things that cannot be cut by my Roukan-Blade, forged by youkai...are close to none!"

Alex sighed then swung his sword up before his chest while Shina drew her pistols. She leaned closer to Alex and whispered in his ear, "Guess she musta got tricked into fighting us."

Alex raised his brows and harshly spoke of the half-ghost's will, "Ironically, she's not the sharpest tool in the shed."

He wielded his sword with a firm grip and stared deep into Youmu's iron clad eyes, noting at least one thing positively about her, "But those blades of hers are no joke. If she's not playing by the Spell Card Rules, then she could chop our limbs off in a flash."

"Oh right..." Shina bumped up her firepower from pistols to SMGs then nodded her head, "Then I'll stay on guard!"

"We don't have time to play around half-ghost! We're breaking through whether you like it or not!" Alex declared, much to Youmu's dismay.

"Then you've chosen your fate," Youmu resheathed her blade and bent her stumpy legs down, "And I shall cut even that!"

Alex had faith in Shina's capability to evade the half-ghost's speedy attacks, but regarding himself? Not so much. He'd just have to strike hard with his many elements and hope to catch Youmu by surprise.

The half-ghost made the first move and lunged forth in a single motion towards them both. She drew both her blades, signaled by the brief glint of silver in the air, and slashed them opposite the arms she held them in as she passed the two by.

Shina propped her defenses up with a hefty wall of aura that was immediately cut to shreds, while Alex lowered his blade before his waist and managed to deflect the attack. He was lucky, a centimeter off and his stomach would be bleeding out.

He turned around first and watched as Youmu halted to perform a quick turnaround, not even waiting for it to finish before leaping straight through the air towards him. She slashed the air three times in blinding succession to pummel the boy with blades of air that forced him in retreat.

While he dealt with those backing up, Youmu sheathed her shorter sword and grabbed her katana in both hands. She dove straight at him with eyes flared open and swung decisively towards his open chest.

He gripped his blade and swung from before his chest all the way out to the right, deflecting her attack right in the nick of time but recoiling from the sheer force. Youmu skid a few feet along the ground then held her katana backwards and tried to stab Alex's back from underneath her armpit.

With his heart racing Alex bit his teeth and used his heel to upheave a spike of titanium that briefly held Youmu's Roukan-Blade back. Those precious couple of seconds allowed Shina to get in close to the half-ghost and blast her in the face with a shotgun.

Youmu's feet were dragged closer towards her wall, but she held herself back from getting close and didn't even look to break a sweat. She drew both her blades and went straight after Shina while Alex was reorienting himself from the earlier strike.

Shina kept her aura up even as Youmu's blades sliced around in blurs and shredded her defenses to ribbons. Without a word Youmu's ghastly counterpart flew overhead and turned into a pale mimickry of her, complete with her own blades.

And while they weren't nearly as sharp, they were still swords. The hairs on the back of Shina's neck stood on end and she performed a hasty backflip over the phantom's swipes. She pointed her SMGs downward and fired many bullets, using them to keep herself flying over the phantom as they were distracted spinning a single blade circularly to deflect them all.

Once Shina landed she leaped away and leaned her head back, sucking in her neck to avoid the tip of the real Youmu's blade after she used her phantom to vault forward. Youmu grimaced a little, possibly cursing internally for her mistake.

And now her mistake would be punished thusly, with Alex stamping his foot on the ground and making a pillar of stone to throw Youmu higher. While she tumbled around uncontrollably her phantom leapt up and grabbed onto her left arm, throwing her straight back down towards Alex.

The boy retaliated with blasts of lightning that she sliced down the middle the moment they emerged. When she got in close to strike Alex buckled his fists down and thrust one straight past Youmu's cross slash to strike her in the gut.

She gasped out a lot of saliva and almost lost grip on her swords. Alex dug his knuckles in deeper to prolong how long she was suspended there as he pummeled her around a bit with both his fists. He was lucky to have connected with the first punch, and couldn't squander this opportunity.

The phantom intervened soon enough, using its malleable form to sneak under Alex's line of sight and then shank him in the gut with one of its blades. Now Alex was the one coughing in shock, but luckily the phantom wasn't as disciplined as its human body and had missed any vital organs. Youmu was freed, and prepared to finish swinging her blades down on his arm.

Shina flipkicked into view and rammed her heel into Youmu's face, squishing it up before she was launched away. Then after flipping around fully Shina brought her leg down upon the phantom. It was no fool, and made a slippery retreat back to its owner.

Youmu dug her swords into the ground to slow down then turned her body to the side as her phantom took on her form behind her yet again. They flashed their katanas forward at the same time then sheathed them, holding onto both their blades with a firm grip.

Shina could feel the dread of something powerful about to be unleashed, and Alex knew even her aura would not hold up if Youmu was about to do what he thought she would. Before the two Youmus charged out, Alex reached into his pocket to touch the Gaia Temporis.

When he felt the Youmus make even the slightest budge forward, he stopped time completely. Diagonal slashes of silver swept across the entire battlefield, each one capable of cleaving through buildings. The slashes were eventually going to converge upon his and Shina's location if he didn't do something to intervene.

He took in a deep breath and concentrating, motivating himself by wanting to be rid of the sight of Shina's frightful expression. He then grabbed his sword in both hands and flung himself in the path of each individual slash, striking them with all his might. The strain on his mind from stopping time would prove disastrous if he screwed up. He couldn't afford a mistake.

He didn't let a single strike escape his sight. Once he was done, he sought out Youmu's power and created a condensed fireball to intercept where she'd end up. Then he stuck by next to Shina, resumed time, and let the fireworks fly.

Every slash shattered down the middle in a fantastic display that left Shina blown back. She immediately turned to Alex and saw him hunched over with a hand on the side of his head. A second later, the fireball he set up went off and blasted Youmu down onto the ground with smoke seeping out across her body.

Her phantom hadn't the presence to be caught, and resumed diving straight after the paralyzed Alex. Shina relieved her boyfriend from flirting with danger for a bit and intercepted the phantom by smacking it with the barrel of her rocket launcher.

After the phantom was knocked down she aimed and fired her payload. It used its malleable form to shape itself like a donut so it'd pass through. It then returned to Youmu's form and sliced the air down in one clean sweep, forming a powerful vacuum that dragged Shina in closer.

When she was inches away the phantom sheathed her blade and leaned back. A moment later, the phantom had swapped places with Youmu, who followed through on her other half's attack by lunging forward with blinding speeds.

Shina didn't have the time to respond, but her "other half" did. Strenuously guiding his sword with his mind, Alex had thrown it over her head and before her legs at the last moment to deflect Youmu's single powerful stroke. His nose started to bleed from blocking that attack, and the sword had to be dispelled for the sake of keeping his mind intact.

Youmu caught this vulnerability from the corner of her eyes and sprinted to exploit it. She drew both blades up beside her face, believing her strike would hit true. Of course, she really, REALLY underestimated what Alex Whiter was capable of.

He took his staggering body and channeled all his strength not into his legs, but his left shoulder. He rammed quick and strong into her chest, preventing her deadly blades from ever getting near him. She was quick, she was tough, but she was also small. And there was no amount of discipline or training that would steel her diminuitive body to handle the kind of power Alex could swing her way.

Once more coughing up spit, Youmu stumbled back onto the ground and went rolling quite a ways away. Alex's shoulder felt sore after that, but at least he was free to finish catching his breath. Shina fired a couple rockets her way, but they were sliced down swiftly by Youmu's blades.

Yet her followthrough was slower, and afterwards her knees started to stagger. She stood up, fought through the pain of it all, then sheathed her blades for another attack. Shina assaulted her with SMG fire aplenty, but the phantom came to her defense and spun the bullets away.

Then Youmu was ready, and started by attacking the ground with her katana to send one of those shockwaves barreling after Alex. She immediately drew her smaller sword and sped past her attack, getting behind Alex and slashed downward to pincer him between two shockwaves.

Shina came to his rescue, holding her arms out to squeeze him between the protection of two thick aura walls. They hastily broke down under the shockwaves' pressure, but it gave Alex time to do something . He cupped his hands by his hips and started charging flames into a compressed orb.

When it was ready, he decided to push his luck just a little more and reached for the Gaia Temporis. After stopping time he curved around Shina and Youmu's efforts, holding the orb before his right palm and swinging it directly towards the half-ghost's face. Time resumed, and Youmu's face lit up with disbelief.

"Out of our way!" He yelled strenuously as he blasted her with a bright cone of flames, of which she remained consumed inside of for five seconds before getting launched back.

The walls she made shattered, and her body tumbled across the stone path until she stopped at the base of the foreboding tree lying flat on her face. Her hands trembled to hold onto her blades, which she used to push herself back onto her feet. One of her eyes had to shut, and what little vision remained was blurry. Even through tattered clothes and burned skin, Youmu's resolve was as peerless as her blades.

"You've done enough, Youmu." A gentler, almost hypnotic voice, caused Youmu to heel on the spot.

Alex and Shina looked up at the front of the tree, as a fair and ghastly maiden descended from above, veiled in a pinkish glow. Her eyes were maroon and full of mystery and joy, her short wavy pink hair fit perfectly underneath her blue mob cap, and her bluish-white kimono had a feel of regality to it. Her skin was not pale, and was smooth without a single flaw. Her innocent face could disarm the roughest hearts, while a mature allure came from her shapely frame. She was a real mystery this one, a curious soul with neither good nor evil in her heart. With a guiding hand that felt unimpeded by the world around her, she covered her mouth with a fanciful paper fan, and looked down upon her company without the slightest hint of malice.

Youmu dropped to her knees and bowed her head, addressing her with a staggering degree of respect, "Lady Yuyuko, forgive me, I-"

"You didn't fail. Far from it," The ghostly girl smiled, "Our guests have been welcomed splendidly. You couldn't have done anymore for me if you tried."

She then set her sights upon the two, and Alex seemed to be who she was drawn to the most. Closing her eyes to further her allure of mysterious, she murmured a gentle but expected greeting, "It wasn't merely by some whim of fate that you were brought here, Phoenix of Destruction."

She peered through her eyes with a disarming gaze, and whispered something ominous, "It is only fitting that the dead eventually return to their final resting place, after all."

This woman was no ordinary ghost, even in the context of Gensokyo. She was Yukari's closest friend, and a deceptively good fighter with a very, very deadly power. Yet death meant nothing to Alex now, not when he was so close to giving Yukari a piece of his mind. And so he met the woman's glare with gusto, and vowed that he would win. He would beat the one of whom many refer to as...

 **Yuyuko Saigyouji ~ The Phantom of Cherry Blossoms**

 _Next Time: Border of Life_


	26. Chapter 26

Its been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. And to some extent that is true. For example, is someone insane for repeating an activity that they find fun multiple times, even if the end result is always failure?

What about a socially awkward person attempting to find love, only to be shot down everytime? If they keep trying, in spite of failure, then does that make them insane, or determined?

How about attempting to cut food to try out a new recipe for the first time? Lets say you're clumsy, and you cut your hand every time. Even though they're minor wounds, they keep adding up. So should you stop? You're doing something that is actively hurting you, and you're not getting any better at it.

Or perhaps you want to try rock climbing for the first time. You find a place to practice, a gym perhaps, but you're not very good at it. You always jump too early, you always apply improper grip, you always fall down. Your peers worry about you. You worry about you. But you keep going anyways, ergo you should be classified as insane.

But eventually that person will get good at that activity. They will find someone to love. They will stop cutting themselves. They WILL scale that rock wall. As long as the possibility remains for change, then change will happen, even if they aren't aware of it.

No, true insanity lies in expecting change to come from outcomes that have long since been destined to occur.

A blind man will never be able to see through their own eyes again.

A writer cannot be expected to get better on their own, they must learn from other materials, from other authors.

A loved one will always die before your very eyes, gripping the cold knife upon which they took their own life with.

And a hero will eventually fall to their own inner turmoil, and become that which they despite the most.

You can either willingly accept this outcome, or struggle in vain to change it. But when you push so hard to change the impossible, that is when you truly turn insane. And sometimes, not even death will free you from insanity.

...Yet, that's the curious thing about insanity. There's no peak to it. Inevitably, insanity loops back around to sanity. If you live long enough or are smart enough, you will see how true this is. Then, and only then, can one truly fight the impossible.

The key to outwitting the whims of fate is to face the impossible with an impossibility of your own. Something so equally insane that it changes any preconceived notions of cohesive scripture the universe may have had. Yes, there is really no other option left.

To change the future, insanity MUST be victorious.

 **Chapter 26: Border of Life I: The Black Stained Blossoms**

The immediate confrontation between Yuyuko and her guests was a silent one. She viewed them both with a carefree air around her as she levitated beneath the shade of the hollow tree's branches. She saw Alex's fists tense up as he hid them in his pockets, his teeth snarled like a wolf's fangs. She saw Shina cautiously hold her weapons partway towards her, as though hesitant to make the first move.

Her gardener Youmu was on the ground directly below, painfully perplexed as expected. Yuyuko wordlessly vowed to make it up to her later, but her part in all this was now over. Thus with a gentle lift of her folded fan, held even with the length of her arm, Yuyuko winked one eye shut and whispered, "Youmu, will you please stand aside?"

Youmu shot right up and her right eye winced shut. She turned around and grabbed onto her blades, her eyes drawn towards the invaders, "I-I can still fight Lady Yuyuko!"

"Youmu." Yuyuko spoke once, her tone no different than before, and Youmu froze up and slowly swerved her head back. Her aggression was disarmed through a single smile which she soon hid back behind her fan, which was waved gently.

"I kindly asked you to stand aside. Would you, _please_?"

Youmu tightened her grip on her blades and her lips quivered. She then stood up with head hung low, and wallowed in her failure as she stepped off to the left. Shina felt bad for her, but knew she wouldn't have been receptive to pity from the enemy.

Yuyuko then descended a few feet lower, ending up ten feet above the ground, and closed her eyes. What kept Alex from attacking her then and there was an outright lack of hostility.

Her emotions were genuine, but her body didn't project the same feeling. If she held him in disdain, then it'd only show at her discretion.

" _But being Yukari's friend, its obvious how she feels..."_ Alex thought. There WAS her power to consider to. Yuyuko could kill anyone instantly. Quite the gruesome power for one who looked so pure from a distance, but it was something that rested in the back of Alex's thoughts as he worked out how to proceed.

He couldn't "poke the angry lion" so to speak. He didn't know how Yuyuko's power activated. Was it through words? Thoughts? Could she even kill them from where she was?

Or perhaps he was being overly paranoid? At this point he wouldn't admit that, but it held some degree of truth. Perhaps Yuyuko just simply won't use her power...

" _I'm not taking any chances. We've come too damn far!"_ Alex resigned himself to standing back as a silent observer, a role Yuyuko likewise shared.

It was Shina who first took action. She swung her fists down and raised her voice in protest of the situation, "What do ya want from us?! Heck, what does _Yukari_ want from us?! Come on, don't we deserve some answers?!"

Alex quickly regretted not telling her to be quiet as she laid out her questions to Yuyuko without fear. He quickly leaned her way and growled through his teeth, "Are you TRYING to get us killed?!"

Shina reeled back a ways from Alex and swung her hands up, puzzled as to why he'd be getting mad, "D-Don't gimme that Alex, you're thinking the same things!"

After swinging a finger up to her face his mouth gawked open before being swiftly clamped shut, upon which he crossed his arms and grumbled, "That's not the point Shina."

"But she's not wrong you know." Yuyuko interjected, her soft-spoken voice somehow managing to reach.

They faced her, and she waved her fan around before her face while she spoke, "You made it this far. Your efforts should be rewarded. But whether or not I have the answers you seek...That is something I'll leave up to you."

She stiffened her fan in place, tilting her head with a giggle, "Go ahead. Ask away."

Alex dug his hands into his pockets and faced Yuyuko, "Fine then. Lets start with the most obvious question."

He thrust one hand up in the blink of an eye to point at her. His eyes were flared wide open, devoid of restraint that carried through into his voice, "What the HELL is Yukari's plan here?!"

Yuyuko shut her eyes and remained upright. Only her dress moved, swept up by the gentle breeze. Alex curled his finger into a fist and grit his teeth. When Shina heard his knuckles crack she said to try and calm him down, "She's not going to tell us Alex..."

His eyes squeezed shut and as he brought his arm back down he asked instead, "Why **AREN'T** you going to tell us?"

"Because its not my place."

"Why not?" Alex growled.

Yuyuko went silent again, but this time time there was something resembling melancholy behind her actions. "Perhaps she simply did not know?" Would be what someone even an iota more rational than Alex would think.

But that was a concept unfathomable to both the blind and the enraged. A scowl formed on the left of his face, his pupils shrank, and he bitterly snipped at Yuyuko, "This is a goddamn waste of time."

He then swung his hand back up more viciously than before and yelled, "You're not telling us anything!"

Yuyuko closed her eyes and waved her fan some more. Shina then laid her hands atop his arm, her soft touch making it easier to lower it. With a gaze into his eyes she softly nodded.

He looked away, ashamed, and kept his arms down. Then Shina turned just her head towards Yuyuko and asked, "...Is the Cosmos Drive here?"

Yuyuko shook her head, and Shina bit down tensely on her lower lip. She thought it over, then asked again, " _Do_ you know where the Cosmos Drive is?"

"Maybe I do? Maybe I don't?" Yuyuko playfully teased. A curious way to respond, certainly, but Shina was inclined to believe that she was telling the truth.

"Ok then..." Shina rolled her lips back and mumbled a bit to herself, making sure her next question was worded right, "Does Yukari know?"

"Of course she does..." Alex grumbled, prompting her to quietly hush him then gesture for him to pay attention to Yuyuko. The princess went silent, then lowered her fan a bit to reveal a smile. She didn't say a word, yet ironically spoke enough.

Shina nodded twice then pumped her fist up with a quiet "Yes!" of celebration. And after divulging this information, Shina's next course of action was obvious, "Then that means Yukari's in possession of it, yeah?"

Yuyuko's eyes slowly creaked open, revealing her wily intentions, "I never said that. She knows, and I may or may not. Does that mean its here in Gensokyo? In her hands specifically? I imagine it'd be rather difficult for her to have it."

Shina fluttered her eyelashes and muttered, "Huh? Whaddya mean by that?"

Alex crossed his arms and thought and thought until he couldn't think anymore. There was one question stored away in the back of his mind that had been nagging him all day. Mamizou didn't know the answer to it. Shikieiki was certain in hers, but there was room for doubt. But Yuyuko? Yuyuko would either confirm it directly, or through her silent treatment.

"Is Yukari Yakumo dead or alive?" He asked.

Shina swung towards him, understandably bewildered, "Yukari's dead?! But Alex, you JUST said that she-"

"I know what I said Shina, but..." Alex scratched the side of his head and murmured sheepishly, "Remember how I said I first suspected Yukari when I talked to Mamizou?"

"Yeah?"

"Well...By Mamizou's account, Yukari was killed a couple years ago by Tenshi."

Shina's mouth dropped a little, then she glanced aside and rolled with it, "Uhhh, ok..."

Before Alex said a word she shook her head and wildly swung her arms down, "No no no! That makes no sense! If Yukari's dead, like...DEAD dead, then how could she've been the mastermind?"

"Ex-ACTLY," Alex snapped a couple fingers up from his left elbow and looked at Shina as she fluttered her eyelashes some more, "Our encounters with the mastermind contradict Mamizou's story. Yukari pulled the wool right over their eyes, and faked her death."

Shina rubbed the side of her face and pondered, "But...why?"

"That witch can answer for herself 'Why'," Alex swung his pointer finger towards Yuyuko and yelled triumphantly, "No more of this silent treatment bullshit Yuyuko. I want answers! Yukari's alive, isn't she?"

Yuyuko folded her fan, making a fine snapping sound, then planted it atop her open palm. Her papery curtain fallen, she revealed a serene look on her face that allowed her to look the boy straight in the eyes and say without pause, "No, she is not."

Alex's hand reeled back, and shivers ran through his heart. His right hand lowered, trembling all the way. His head slowly shook, its pace quickening as denial ran rampant through his mind.

" _There's been some curious circumstances happen' after her so-called 'death'. Like how I've actually been seein' her around a few times since then."_

" _If Yukari Yakumo were to ever cheat death, there'd be no escape for her. Either a Shinigami or a Kishin would have been sent to deal with her offense."_

These two statements were in direct conflict with what Yuyuko just revealed. It should've been painfully obvious that the ghost was playing a joke, but she lacked an expression of joy. No giggle, no smile. She was dead silent, as though in mourning.

Alex clutched his fists and hunched forward with an unforgiving snarl, "Getting real sick and tired of all this leading on. You'd be better off telling us the truth, Yuyuko."

The princess patted her fan down twice, then smacked it down extra hard, lifting it straight up unfolded before her face. She turned her body, poised with grace, and looked towards him with one eye partially open, "You break into my home, attack my gardener, and then call me a liar?"

The way her face moved after suggested she was smiling, "And then you besmirch my friend's name after death. How very rude."

"Rude?!" Alex's body flared up, as did his eyes, full of rage and disdain. He shook his head and sounded like he was simply _done_ with everything, " **I** don't want to hear that! There's no way in HELL Yukari's dead!"

"Where's your proof?" Yuyuko asked sternly.

Alex swiped his right arm down and declared, "You know who I am! Phoenix of Destruction ain't exactly something that comes up in casual conversation!"

Yuyuko shut her eyes and met his deductions word for word, "But that doesn't prove that she's still alive _now_ , right? She could have told me all about you before she died."

" _Could she?"_ Alex grimaced and started to think, _"Yukari 'died' two years ago...That's months before our journey began. Yuyuko could've been told everything about me before hand, but..."_

He was reminded of what else Mamizou had said, how Yukari was aware they were coming five years in advance. He had just gotten his start as an Elemental Overlord at the time though...

" _But Hecatia said Yukari works for the 'higher-ups', so she'd have known about me taking up his mantle."_ That reasoning didn't gel with what he just recalled.

" _...Five years ago?"_ His eyes wandered downward, with him biting his teeth down and feeling colder by the second, _"Rethink this through Alex...Yukari knew about my other title, and that I'd be coming here five years ago. Two years ago, six months before me and Shina went searching for the Cosmos Drive, she 'died' to Tenshi. By Mamizou's account, Yukari was damn certain that she'd be able to survive to stop the Phoenix of Destruction. She could've gotten overzealous and died from something she couldn't have predicted, but that doesn't make sense..."_

" _Anyone who has the foresight to predict someone's arrival five years in advance wouldn't have been taken by surprise...Which means Yukari's 'demise' was all according to plan. But how did she come back to life without attracting Shikieiki's attention? How did she accomplish everything she did as the 'mastermind'?"_

Alex's eyes sagged. The more he thought, the more tired he got. He could've sworn for a moment that his brain was going to have a stroke if he kept this up, and started rubbing the front of his head as the pain inside swelled and throbbed.

"Goddamn it..." Was one way to describe all this.

With somewhat blurry vision he looked over to Yuyuko, knowing one thingthat _is_ true, _"She's full of shit. Yukari's alive. Probably even watching us right now and laughing her ass off."_

He looked to Shina, whose eyes were blank while the rest of her face was perplexed trying to solve this mystery. He saved her the trouble by bluntly telling her, "Don't waste your time Shina."

He said, glaring his eyes through Yuyuko's ghastly, hollow body, "This is all just a game to her."

She shivered and laid her fan directly against her face, "Oh my, so much hostility in the air. Perhaps they call you the Phoenix of Destruction because you destroy the happiness of any place you enter?"

"Quit the joking around already, your act's grown stale!"

"Where was the joke?" Yuyuko gleamed at him through one eye, "How many places would've been better off if you hadn't shown up?"

"Shut up," Alex's wild emotions left him unaware of how little control he had over his body as he started to raise his right hand up and clutch his fingers together in an aggressive manner, as though squeezing the ghost's heart, "If you're going to be Yukari's mouthpiece, then its better you haul the bitch right out here for us!"

"She's dead. What part of that don't you get?"

"I've got... **zero** reasons to trust you."

Shina was in agreement, albeit nowhere _near_ as harshly as Alex was portraying the issue as, "It doesn't matter if Yukari's dead or alive. What about you Yuyuko?"

The ghost closed her eyes and whispered, "Whatever do you mean, Shina Aurora?"

Shina crossed her arms before her chest and quietly pondered, "Do ya plan on being our enemy too?"

Yuyuko folded up her fan, and put it in the pocket of her kimono. She then laid her arms down, and admitted the truth lied buried in her heart, "I plan on finishing what my friend started years ago."

She turned her head and smiled. It was genuine, just like what she said, "This is your last chance to leave, Shina Aurora. Will you take it, or will your corpse join your lovers' in feeding the cherry blossoms of the Netherworld?"

"I think it miiiight be kinda late for me to look the other way?" Shina's confusion over everything left her uncertain up until she thrust her pistols up towards Yuyuko, upon which she declared firmly to her face, "I get you're Yukari's friend and all, but can ya really overlook what she's done?"

Yuyuko played along with Shina's puppy-like obedience of Alex's assumptions while wearing a smile, "Sometimes you have to stick by your friend's side, even at their worst. If she was alive, I'd agree with what she had done in a heartbeat."

She stared towards Shina, and her voice deepened somewhat, "Much like how you have willingly overlooked the destruction the young Elemental Overlord has caused."

Shina's face tensed up with a slight scowl, and she glanced a little towards Alex. He looked at her back, but only for a moment. She swung her head forward, and held her shaking pistols in close proximity to one another.

Yuyuko hung and shook her head, clicking her tongue as though feeling a mild sense of pity for the girl, "Its not your fault for being misled by the Phoenix of Destruction's cries for sympathy. You're young. You don't know any bet-"

A fireball briskly flew past Yuyuko's face, singing a few strands of hair clean off. She widened her eyes and looked towards Alex, whose face showed no emotion except tiredness. He squeezes his smoking fingers into a fist, holding it up towards the ghost. When his teeth grit into a scowl, tears drop from his eyes. These were not tears of anger...

"Shut up already..." He growled, frightening Shina a little as the twinge of insanity in his voice reminded her of that monster his split-personality had become.

"I haven't done _CRAP_ to deserve being treated like the villain. Yukari's the one who has aligned herself with villains across multiple worlds. Yukari's the one responsible for any deaths and destruction they caused. There is nothing righteous about her cause. She's just some _bitch_ that treats the people around her like playthings, including you!"

...Yuyuko stood there, as dead silent as the air around her. She drew her right hand up, and from it summoned a Spell Card glistening as pale as her ghastly skin, "And you let yourself be played, even until this fated moment. When you finally accept the embrace of death, Alex Whiter, remember this..."

Her eyes widened and became as blank as the depths of space. Her voice became hollow, devoid of the most basic emotions, which left Youmu scared, "You could have _lived_."

Her fan slipped from her sleeve and fell onto her open hand, which she then clutched firmly and opened, using it in a graceful piourette that culminating in her delivering a clean slice through the Spell Card.

"Blossom of Spring 'The Ignoble Fall of Winter'." She stated in her normal voice while basking in the glow of the petals that suddenly appeared on the giant tree.

She held her arms aloft and floated higher up, closing her eyes as the vestiges of her first Danmaku blended in with the luminosity of the cherry blossom. They emerged in countless numbers, five of them bundled close together to make them resemble the first blossoming flowers of springtime. Their colors were bright and cheery, ranging from pink, blue and yellow.

Then the bullets spread apart, flying towards the two in perfectly aligned lines. Alex and Shina watched them for a second then turned to each other. Their emotions were at an all-time peak, but they weren't about to lose each other over it. They were so close to the end of their journey, and regardless of how deep Yukari's machinations went or how many of her allies were thrown their way...They would defeat win, standing side-by-side as they had from the very beginning.

The two took flight holding hands, then broke off in a haste as the Danmaku got closer. Alex attacked from the right, slingshotting past all the bullets coming his way while flicking as many fireballs he could towards Yuyuko. Shina went to the left, weaving around the Danmaku as her own bullets flew straight towards their target.

Yuyuko added petal shaped bullets to the mix, making them rain gently like newly formed snow. Alex endured the attacks and kept trudging closer, hitting Yuyuko with bigger fireballs. Shina remained patient and weaved away, sticking to fast paced weaponry.

She noticed how some of the petals were coming apart in a foggy manner, and yelled across the battlefield to Alex, "Watch out! There's a trick to these bullets!"

Alex responded in turn, "I'll be fine! Focus on hitting her with everything you've got!"

He clasped his palms together and blasted Yuyuko with a large explosive fireball, shaking some real petals off the cherry blossom trees and sending a hot, blustery breeze towards Shina. She kept an eye on the petal bullets, ready to swing out of the way if they tried anything funny.

When some of the petals started breaking apart, eight wispy white trails no thicker than fog spread out and collapsed towards Shina. She slipped between a couple of them, and upon all eight pressing together they burst into a flowery, circular array of bullets as big as a tree.

Shina was snared by a few of them, feeling the warmth of spring inside each and every one. She was fighting for her life, yet her opponent still treated her Danmaku with beauty and delicacy. It almost threw Shina off-guard. Almost.

Meanwhile Alex failed to heed Shina's advice, and when the wisps flew his way they struck him full force one-by-one and shoved him far over the field of cherry blossom trees. He shook his head and charged right back towards Yuyuko with a growl, running rickshaw through her Danmaku until he was point-blank to strike her with a lightning bolt.

Her lips moved independent from the rest of her body to form a smile, and a flash of brisk crimson-pink appeared on both sides of her body. A laser emerged from those lights and swept Alex aside as it split apart into five others, one side going down while the other went up. It was like watching a dancer unfurling a pair of fans as they twirled in place, mystifying the audience with their beauty.

Shina had better luck getting out of the way, but then ran into a few of those trails and was knocked back. Her and Alex shook the disorientation off and flew simultaneously back towards Yuyuko, who sent more lasers forth in opposing directions.

Alex tucked his legs in and held his breath after a gasp. He then thrust his hands out and focused two massive lightning bolts on Yuyuko, their impact shaking the foundation of the Netherworld. The tremors troubled Shina's aim along with her concentration on her foe's Danmaku, making her ram straight into plenty of them.

Yuyuko was showing no signs of fatique, perhaps the one blessing being a ghost granted her. It annoyed Alex, however, who kept pounding her with his strongest lightning bolts as though this was an actual fight. The princess' elegant storm chipped away at his stamina and forced him back, repeating the cycle of him charging forward and attacking in futility.

But when combined with Shina's carefully planned assault, the two stood a chance of weathering Yuyuko's Spell Card to the very end. Between the vibrant cherry blossoms and her beautiful Danmaku, it was an unforgettable sight to behold. It was almost a pity that between everyone who could possibly be observing this, only one person would care...

Through a war of attrition, Alex and Shina's efforts bore fruit, and Yuyuko's Danmaku shattered and scattered to the four wind like bright ashes. She lowered her arms and slowly opened her eyes partway, her company surrounding her on both sides with their hands raised. Shina started to lower her guns, while Alex's remained raised with an animosity to rival that of a god of war.

Yuyuko's lips twisted up into a smile as she tilted her head and prepared for summon another Spell Card. Alex's eyes and nostrils flared open, and he bolted straight for her while proclaiming, "We're done playing games!"

He stretched his hand out prematurely to reach for her arm, only for his path to be diverted by a vicious grip around his wrist. His arm was forced down, dislodging his shoulder partway, and five claws tips easily dug into the nerves of his hand and held him in place through pain alone.

Alex's heart thumped hard, and the echoes of a primal hound's howl entered his mind. He forced himself to look up, and was greeted by eyes as bright and yellow as the full moon. They belonged to a woman of fearsome discipline and intellect with short blonde hair and nine fox tails. The blue and light purple dress she wore made her appear sagely, but all Alex saw was what lied on the surface of her eyes.

A ferocity unlike any other shone inside, subtle as the movements of a puppy. Comparing her to a puppy was quite apt, for Alex could only recognize her as such. But she didn't belong to just anyone. No, her loyalty lied only with Yukari.

 **Ran Yakumo ~ The Proud Kitsune on a Leash**

She stared at Alex with a rustled nose and a tiny scowl that was enough to bear a fang. She then sent Alex flying with a gentle toss, and he felt weightless until he was able to regain control. He grabbed his bleeding wrist and shook it around, staring at the kitsune as she put her back to Yuyuko and placed both arms in her sleeves.

"Miss Saigyouji, why are you playing around?" She spoke with a deep, alluring maturity.

Yuyuko placed a sleeve up by her face and chuckled, "Am I not allowed to have fun? I hope you didn't come all the way here to spoil it, Ran."

The kitsune guffawed and closed her eyes, "Hardly."

She then drew her claws, stained with Alex's blood, towards him as a taunt. She leered at him with shrunken pupils and an undisturbable stature greater than a mountain's, "In fact, I'd be honored to fight at your side, Miss Saigyouji."

" _Great, now the fucking lapdog's here..."_ Alex sighed, although this was pretty much expected to happen anyways. Ran showing up just saved him and Shina the trouble of hunting her down later.

With a smile filled with fangs that could shred steel, Ran boasted to the tense Overlord, "I've waited a long time to feast on you, Phoenix of Destruction. May your souls satiate me with a bountiful banquet of howls!"

 _Next Time: Inescapable Death_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Border of Life II: The Multicolored Blossoms**

A princess and a pup. A ghost and a guardian. A fool and an even bigger fool. The duo of Yuyuko and Ran was a combination never before seen in all of Gensokyo, but that just spoke volumes of the urgency of their given mission. They could feign ignorance to their guests all they wished, but Alex would never buy it.

" _Brag and boast you dumb kitsune, but I am going to reach your master and make her pay for what she's done..."_ Alex mumbled internally while bearing a scowl.

Ran was deeply humored by his expression of frustration, and with wide smirk her pupils shrunk to slits while her irises glistened off the radiance of the cherry blossoms, "There is still time to bow your head and beg for forgiveness."

"Forgiveness from who?" Alex broke into laughter and swung his pointer finger towards Ran, "YOU?"

The kitsune stiffened her upper lip and let out a short growl, flustered by the boy's incorrigible lack of respect, and with a beastly deepening of her voice she peered at him with eyes of black ice and responded, "You know _exactly_ whom I refer to."

Alex raised his right brow with a smug smile and remarked, "That's funny, cause SHE told me that your master's dead."

Ran peeked over shoulder and Yuyuko vouched for her while continuing to fan her face, "You can still ask the dead for forgiveness."

"You guys are really putting in a lotta effort to keep this charade going," Shina remarked, tapping the back of her head with a pistol while wondering how long this back-and-forth was going to last, "What's the point really?"

Ran switched places with Yuyuko like they were on a turntable, and with her chin held high she said, "If you fail to see the point, then that means our goal's are succeeding."

Shina shook her head and swung her arms up, then let them drop to her hips as she said in a tired voice, "Alex, they're not gonna give up on this hubbub, are they?"

Alex let out a long sigh, "No...No they aren't."

Thus he swung his sword up viciously towards Ran and yelled at her, "Fine then. If you're going to be a stubborn mutt, then once I send you back to where your master is, I want you to deliver this message..."

He crossed his brows and squinted his eyes, both flaring up with the wildness of a dragon, while his voice became strictly monotone, "Shina and I will never give up until we find her and kill her."

Ran swapped back to her original spot and sneered deeply at the boy, "Message received."

She then raised her right claws up across from her face and boasted in a theatrical manner, "But alas, there will be no need to send it...For this is where your hubris causes your downfall, 'mighty' Phoenix of Destruction."

"Keep barking, you're just a dumb noisy mutt." Alex fiercely retorted.

Ran's face became a little gnarled up around her mouth, making her look as though she was both angry and composed. After a vicious snap of her fingers she tucked her arms into her sleeves and rolled backwards to get in front of Yuyuko. The princess then drew a Spell Card atop her spread out fan and remarked, "Are you ready, Ran?"

"Let us be done with these two feckless children, Ms. Saigyouji." Ran commented, matching Yuyuko's gentle tone with only a hint of ridicule towards their enemies.

"Butterfly Dichotomy 'The Rainbow's Deceit'." Yuyuko said, gracefully breaking her Spell Card with a twirl similar to the one before.

She then floated there with her arms down while a beautiful bouquet of butterflies colored like cherry blossom petals flew out from behind her. The butterflies split apart into groups of five, covering the four corners surrounding her and Ran, and with each flap of their wings they sent dozens of spherical bullets flying in all directions.

Alex and Shina flew back to get a better idea of what trickery the dastardly duo would get up to with this Spell Card, and attacked with fireballs and bullets while avoiding their projectiles. Alex rightfully saw this whole duel as a waste of time, only going along with it because victory on his part would wear down his foe's stamina and make it easier to force them to reveal Yukari's location.

While Yuyuko's butterflies flew as though actually alive, Ran contributed to the Spell Card by creating a terrifyingly twisted twister of small shiny blue diamonds. Her and Yuyuko were in the eye of this storm, protected by its fast, continuous twirl.

Ran slowly guided the diamonds outward, hoping to either ensnare the two or lead them towards Yuyuko's butterflies. The ghost had more to add to help towards that result, and threw forth three butterflies from both sides of her body two at a time.

They fluttered fifteen feet out in a second then stalled in place, exploding into a flowery array of bullets not unlike a dying dandelion letting its seedlings scatter to the wind. Alex and Shina were caught unawares by the sudden bursts and briefly lost focus on their attacks.

During their forced respite, Ran coerced her diamonds inward until they were all an inch separate from her and Yuyuko. Then she spun them around, faster and faster like an out-of-control carousel, until finally sending them flying flagrantly across the sky like a storm of loose needles.

A few of them scraped by Alex. Shina managed to avoid them all narrowly with a flip sideways, but was instead accosted by some of Yuyuko's bullets. But she made sure to repay the princess back with a few bullets of her own, of course.

Alex swung his palms together, taking advantage of the lull in Danmaku to blast both his foes with a single large fireball. Hardly surprising, given who they pal around with, but neither showed signs of fatigue.

There was little reason for her to do so beyond personal enjoyment, but Ran shoved the failure on his part to make her flinch by smirking from the side of her face. Ran then flicked her right hand out and summoned more diamonds, but these were red and spun in the opposite direction of their predecessors.

But now that she'd already played her hand, it would prove simple to avoid any further bullets from her. Though Yuyuko's were still meddlesome, and Alex honestly didn't know how to dodge them while keeping a steady aim on the princess.

Shina was nimble enough to manage the Danmaku from both parties, though a few still slipped by because, in all honesty, the gaps were too small for someone as tall as her to feasibly fly between all of them untouched. Though she knew it'd be dumb to curse her height right now. Being unable to enjoy this duel bothered her more, honestly.

This was the only time she'd felt as though she wasn't participating in a Spell Card duel. The bullets were beautiful, gorgeous even! And the backdrop, with the blossoming trees juxtapositioned with the empty sky? Simply. Breathtaking. The spirit of grace and elegance was present in this duel, certainly, but that wasn't what bugged her.

When she looked across the battlefield at Alex and paid attention to how viciously he attacked his enemies, it all clicked in her head. He was still himself, but for how much longer? The closer they got to Yukari, the more his sanity seemed to be slipping away.

He had every right to hate the witch of the boundary. She hated her too, perhaps just as much. But it pained her to see him take that hatred out on others, even if Yuyuko and Ran deserved some of it for stringing him along just as badly as Yukari has.

The last thing she wanted was to attempt to reach out to him, only for her fingers to slip right through. So for all that talk earlier about hashing out their problems, she could only view herself as a hypocrite now, for her tongue was like stone and her throat rougher than a desert, leaving it impossible for anything worthwhile to surface.

" _I hope its nothing..."_ She thought regarding her thoughts, before resuming to focus on the current problem after a droll sigh.

By this point in time Ran was starting to condense her diamond storm for the second part of her attack. Alex had been throwing fireballs primarily at her, but was frustrated at the lack of results. _Words_ were burning her more than his flames.

While keeping an eye on the Danmaku, Alex looked over to Shina. Her eyelids were sagging, and that optimistic shine in her eyes seemed like a flicker struggling to maintain itself.

"This is all Yukari's fault..." He murmured to himself. She'd done far better than he had expected up until this point. He could look through all the dictionaries in the universe and never find the proper words to express how proud he was of her.

But even she was showing her limits. She was firing bullets but their was no energy to them, nor was their any of that flightiness in her movements. It was an awkward comparison to make, but Alex saw her behavior as something akin to being trapped in an office job. She was just going through the motions, trying to make it through the day.

It wasn't as though that smile wouldn't shine bright again. Alex knew it'd return the moment she saw her family again. But would it remain so beyond that? The uncertainty of that guilted Alex a little, cause that would happen only because of her involvement with him.

" _Goddamn NO...That's just what that witch wants me to think."_ He roughly shook his head and tried to remain concentrated on the duel. But at this point, the mental exercises he was doing were more exhausting than some stupid bullets.

The only commitment he had to this fight was roughing up Yukari's closest allies so the witch would understand how serious he was. He had no intention of killing Yuyuko or even Ran. Going that far wasn't necessary. They meant nothing to him in the grand scheme of things.

...Though that didn't stop Ran's diamonds from being a real pain in the ass. They flew faster than hummingbirds and were they not Danmaku they would be capable of slicing the tree behind them down to splinters in an instant.

And its doubtful it would take any effort on her part. Perhaps it was a good thing Yuyuko had leashed the mild-mannered kitsune to play things her way. Even with the power of his Phoenix Form, Alex would rather avoid being on the tail end of that mutt's claws.

After going through the motions of avoiding the diamonds, Alex kept throwing his fireballs out at a fervent rate. But as Ran summoned more diamonds, he noticed something fishy. This new batch was also red, not blue as he was expecting.

" _So she's not following a concrete pattern. Hmph, whatever..."_ He kept attacking after a stand-offish shrug of the shoulders and a roll of the eyes. Time continued to pass, unimpeded by his efforts to make something, ANYTHING different happen.

It wasn't worth it to get bored over this either. Boredom would lead to tiredness, and a lack of focus. So instead Alex just grew more frustrated and desperate in his attacks, taking on more Danmaku than physically necessary just so his attacks would hasten how fast they'd win.

" _Will you just lose already?!"_ He growled in his head, which was starting to strain from the stress of his constant negativity.

Ran's diamond storm was about to be unleashed, meaning it was time to go through the same droll efforts to dodge it. It was spinning counterclockwise, meaning they'd fly at him from the right. So he flew left, thinking that in doing so the diamonds wouldn't have a duller impact should they happen to hit.

Yet at the last second before firing, Ran flashed a clear and devilish smirk, causing Alex's frustration to temporarily break and force him to pay closer attention. The kitsune's trickery didn't just come in the form of combining her Danmaku with Yuyuko's. No, she had also disguised the color of her Danmaku, playing this game on a psychological level that her opponents' had no chance of laying foot upon.

The diamonds went flying **clockwise** and "sliced" through Alex and Shina as they gasped "Shit!" and "Shoot!" simultaneously in shock. It wasn't a few middling bullets either, but a whole storm of them. If there was a proper thing to compare it too, it was like being swarmed by angry bees.

The assault rapidly ripped through the two's stamina, and afterwards Ran reared her head back and burst into a brief fit of haughty laughter. Alex and Shina glared straight at her, letting out a growl that made her delighted beyond imagination to listen to.

She swiped the underside of her right claws under her chin and sneered in Alex's general direction, boasting with but a bit of restraint being shaken off, "My brilliance only compares to a mere fraction of my master's! And you honestly believe that you stand a chance against-"

"Shut up!" Alex and Shina yelled with similar ferocity, making even one as a proud as Ran feel the urge to retract her boisterous nature and quiver feebly.

Yuyuko giggled and waved her fan some more, remarking in a bizarrely casual tone considering her choice of words, "Isn't that strange to say? You know, since your master's dead..."

She softly closed her eyes with a smile, having difficulty playing along with that teeny little lie anymore. Ran scoffed and waved her arms in a criss-cross before her chest to summon more diamonds, this time colored blue.

She thought she was being clever, hiding the nature of her diamonds behind different colors. But that was simply one of those one-time tricks magicians pull to fool young kids. Like for example, the old "pull a quarter out from behind the ear" trick.

Surely Ran couldn't seriously been expected to keep a haughty air around her by pulling off a trick so juvenille even a fairy could figure it out? Yes, she would certainly have to be punished for thinking so highly of herself...But that was a task best left for her master, Alex thought, assuming there'd even be a master left to punish her by the time he was done with them.

Though to Ran's credit, had it not been for following the rules of the Spell Cards, that would've been a legitimately tricky tactic to overcome. But alas, she could make her diamonds green, yellow, pink, black, or any of the other hundreds of colors out there...One pattern would still move clockwise, and the other counterclockwise. Those are the rules, and not even she can break them.

So as she wallowed in the frustrations of her overthinking getting the better of her, Alex and Shina were able to coordinate their attacks splendidly, unleashing some of their best efforts upon both their opponents. Alex focused Ran, Shina focused Yuyuko, and it would not be long before they came to the conclusion of this particular Spell Card.

Yet as its end drew near, Yuyuko unfolded her fan before her face and let out a barely audible giggle.

A curtain of darkness fell upon the Netherworld, blanketing the cherry blossoms that were so full of life seconds ago. There was no echo to signal the Spell Card destruction, but the Danmaku could no longer be felt. Alex and Shina floated where they were, able to feel but not see themselves clearly.

The realm had become utterly silent, rid of even the gentle, chilling breeze. Alex lit up his body with fire and looked around, unable to find their opponent's silhouettes. With a twitch of his nose he called out, "Shina can you hear me?!"

"Loud 'n clear Alex!" She hollered with a shaken voice, "I-Is it over?"

"...Of course not, they're just getting started." He cautiously voiced as he veered his gaze to the right, sensing a brief flicker of power coming from where the mighty tree stood.

Then another flicker of power came hard from the left, reminding him of the gentle caress of spring. Two cherry blossom trees lit up brightly like stage lights on the red carpet of a movie premiere in Hollywood. Then two more, and two more, and two more again. Soon both rows were all relit, their luminescence much grander than before.

The shadow of the tree's trunk became visible because of this, and the rest of the tree slowly followed. The Netherworld's shadows were undressed by the increasing light, revealing a beautifully fully blossomed tree grander than any oak, taller than most skyscrapers, and as deadly as a Shinigami.

The restless spirits of the afterlife came to life in droves, wandering the skies around the tree's petals as wistful snow white trails. And floating before all the petals with a lifeless presence that poisoned the beauty around her was Yuyuko, glowing absolutely stunningly like a sunset in front of a large see-through fan with a flowery pattern laid against a blue-violet gradient flourish.

Ran had taken to crouching before the ghost, acting almost as her watchdog. The princess flashed a humble smile towards her awe-struck observers as she summoned forth a sparkling Spell Card. Without a hint of remorse or malice, she drew her hand towards the card, surrounding it with her fingers.

"Sleep beneath your wreath of flames, Phoenix of Destruction."

"Rest your weary eyes with a final smile, Shina Aurora."

"Last Word..." Yuyuko crushed the Spell Card and spread her arms out to the horizon, accepting the embrace of the spirits around her as her soothing voice spoke the card's name, "Border of Life ~Under Death's Shadow."

Before any Danmaku was sent forth Alex threw some fireballs up, only for them to pass right through Yuyuko. He then clutched his hands back tight against his sides and growled, "Guess we'll just have to focus down Ran..."

Yuyuko sent forth dozens of butterflies downward, where with each flap of their wings they swung left and right while throwing waves of spherical bullets out. Petals shed forth from the mighty tree at a ludicrous rate, yet were just as quickly replenished. They spread themselves out, spiraling around and around to create a funnel between the tree and the ground, with all four involved in the duel trapped inside.

The petal storm obscured many of the butterflies while also bringing its own tricks to the table. Shina and Alex advanced deeper into the springtime funnel to ensure the connection of their attacks on Ran, but along the way some of the petals detached from the funnel and were flung their way.

They moved at lightspeed, proving impossible to avoid. But they didn't come frequently enough to be of any concern, so they just let them be. The butterflies' bullets were deadlier in number and size, especially with the constraints of the funnel tunneling them towards a single point.

"Isn't this breeching the Spell Card rules?" Shina pondered innocently while weaving around the bullets with ease.

"Do you _seriously_ think they care?" Alex chided her with a ragged voice as he succumbed to many of the bullets in his way.

It took a few seconds before the two could finally start fighting back against Ran, but as they bombarded her with bullets and fireballs the kitsune's muscles tightened and she prepared to strike out on her own.

"Ms. Saigyouji, if I may..."

"Go as wild as your heart desires Ran, I will be fine on my own." Yuyuko said without a care in the world.

Ran unleashed a fanged smile that froze the air stiff from the pressure it exuded, while hidden under her sleeves her fingers began to tremble, "I was waiting to hear that..."

Alex blinked, and Ran was gone like the wind. He could feel her presence on the outside of the blossom twister, but it was moving too fast to get a decent idea of when or how to attack her. When she finally made her reappearance, she bolted through the twister repeatedly in no singular direction.

In her wake she left behind bright blue orbs, each with their own pair of radial spikes that were a clear indicator of something else preparing to attack. After returning to Yuyuko's side, the orbs fired off a criss-cross of lasers so tightly weaved together that not even a fly would be able to easily sneak through.

Alex and Shina had to back off and watch as the orbs shunted down the funnel at lightning speeds, carrying their lasers with them. Moving without thinking, Alex grabbed onto Shina's waist and carried her around the lasers. What he lacked in agility he more than made up for in quick bursts of speed.

And Shina, at the very least, was grateful to find that his touch was still warm. Likewise, Alex was comforted feeling the tension in her muscles melt away. After dodging Ran's initial array of lasers, he let go of her and focused right away on his opponents, missing her briefest of smiles.

"We'll just have to hit Ran whenever she stops moving." Alex commented with a bitter grumbling afterwards.

"Ya sure its that kinda Spell Card?" Shina wondered as she took another look up at Yuyuko.

"Huh?" Alex glanced at her all bewildered while she snapped her fingers with a backhanded flick of the wrist and leaned close to his ear.

"It might be one of those timed ones." She deduced with a whisper.

He crossed his arms and shook his head, "Then Ran would be immune to our attacks too. I think my plan's the best. Just throw everything we've got at Ran and if it doesn't work out then well..."

With a brisk shrug of the shoulders he nonchalantly said, "Who cares. Time'll run out eventually."

A couple bullets flew on by his face, reminding him that now wasn't the time to lollygag. He stiffened his fighting stance towards Ran, who once more bolted off without a trace. While he awaited her return to the battlefield, Shina came up with her own hopefully brilliant plan of attack.

If Ran wasn't going to stand still for long, then wouldn't it better to punish her for being so wild than wait for her to stop? The versatility of her Gunslinger Drive gave her many options to trap the kitsune, but sometimes being basic was the best.

Shina drew both her weapons up and created a pair of cannon-like barrels with pincers around the lip of them, each sparking with a psuedo-electricity. She created a mine between the pincers and the lightning increased their power before she discharged them around the funnel.

It was a bit of flimsy hope to assume that Ran would so easily be tricked by these mines. Arrogant she may be, but if she could sniff out human blood from miles away then feeling the static from these mines would be child's play. Ran's fur stick on end as she plunged into the twister, allowing her to guide herself away from the mines with quick precision every time.

Shina clicked her tongue against the rough of her mouth and was greatly disappointed. Though she still gave herself an A for effort, cause it _sounded_ good on paper. She'd try something else AFTER dodging the second barrage of Ran's lasers.

The pattern of lasers was different but covered the same general space. Ran didn't even try any tricks with them, possibly because her pride was still wounded from her earlier failure. While dodging around the lasers, the two were assaulted by Yuyuko's bullets, which had honestly slipped their mind with everything else they had to deal with.

After Ran's lasers subsided, Alex threw many fireballs at her in a flurry that filled the confines of the twister completely. Meanwhile Shina stayed back and contemplated a plan to attack Ran during her runs, believing that her bullets would just get in Alex's way right now.

" _Think Shina think. If she can evade mines, what else do ya got?"_

The immediate idea was "Bigger mines!" but that just sounded like she was aping Alex's thoughts. No, there had to be something better to whip out from her arsenal.

" _I got it! Counter lasers...with lasers!"_ She threw her hands up and crafted many drones out of aura, numbering at least in the twenties when she was done.

Alex looked back and saw her quick and hard at work, but could feel she was draining a lot of aura to get this accomplished without a guarantee it would work. It was too late to say anything to stop her, so he'd just have to back up her plan in hopes it'd work.

"Alright...we'll try it your way." He swung his fists up and faced the kitsune as she prepared another charge.

The moment Ran was off, Shina sent her countless drones flying while cheering them on gleefully like they were her own children, "Go get 'em dears!"

She focused on them while sweat started to drip from her forehead, aligning them all neatly around the twister's circumference. Ran immediately smashed through a couple of them, making them detonate like bombs, but Shina cared more about charging up the rest.

Ran kept attacking the drones while preparing her lasers, and she swiftly brought the number down to ten. Alex was preparing his **own** surprise in the meanwhile, gathering the power of a hundred thunderstorms within each of his tiny fingertips.

He thrust his hands out and blasted the area around Shina's drones with lightning, forcing Ran to pick her poison. Either get zapped, or get lasered. Neither option was pretty, even in Danmaku, so Ran stubbornly tried to weave her body around the lightning, believing herself a wily enough fox to get the job done.

But alas, she was mistaken. Shina's lasers went off, filling in the holes between Alex's lightning that he kept up through incredible strain. Ran battered through a vicious arrangement of attacks and was quickly beaten down before her lasers got a chance to fire off one more attack.

Her body limped in the center of the twister for a moment, then collapsed out of it before her infuriated gaze could etch a sigil of hatred into Alex's soul. But curiously, the Spell Card was not at its end. Yuyuko chuckled loudly enough to grab the two's attention skyward, and from there all the cherry blossom petal broke formation and gathered to her sides to become a massive pair of butterfly wings.

A shadow was cast over the two, the afforementioned "Death's Shadow", so to speak. With Yuyuko's fan acting as the pointer, all the petals aimed directly at her enemies and began to glow like fireflies. Without a word, she released a relentless hail mary consisting of the most lasers Alex and Shina had ever seen in their life.

" _Oh good lord..."_ Alex gasped with eyes as wide as dinner plates, _"There's no way in HELL anyone'd be able to dodge that!"_

But for this kind of desperation to surface from Yuyuko meant that him and Shina were so SO very close to victory. He could taste it like the sweat rolling down his cheek. Without any plan or thought towards how to win, he pushed his feet back and charged straight for the ghost.

Shina swung her arm up to stop him, but was far too late. So she really had no choice but to follow him on his reckless course of attack. They rammed forward, smashing into many lasers that diverted their course, but never losing the resilience necessary to press on.

Yuyuko floated there, having no thoughts to give on their performance beyond a smile. But perhaps it was a smile that held a second meaning? Only she knew the truth.

There was no indication that anything had changed beyond his gut telling him it had, but Alex still coiled his right fist back and set it aflame. His body became a torpedo set to home in on a singular target. What he felt now, the determination and rage to persist against all odds, was only a fraction of what he'd show against Yukari when the fated moment arrived.

Shina couldn't keep up with Alex's speed this time, but wouldn't lag back so much as to be useless. She cocked a rocket launcher up before her face and took aim at Alex's feet, firing a rocket into them to help propel him faster along. He glanced back for a second, thanking her in his head.

Then he swung his fist out with all he had, smashing into Yuyuko's gut with the force necessary to level the accursed tree behind her. The cherry blossom petals lost their splendor of life, becoming as dull as ashes, and the fan behind her faded into nothingness.

Alex grit his teeth and drew his fist back, and like the ashen petals around her Yuyuko fell gently to the trunk of the tree. But unlike her beastly companion, she fell gracefully upon her knees, and laid her hands beside them. Her eyes were closed and her body silent for a few seconds. She then looked up towards the sky, haunted by the pale spirits of the dead, and saw them flying into the tree.

Then her vision was obscured by Alex, who plummeted to the ground and sent the rocks around him flying through the cherry blossom trees. His fists were tight like knots of steel, and the wrinkles littered across his forehead were all born of anger. He slowly approached Yuyuko, stopping a few feet away, and stared him down with the white hot intensity of a sun.

"Enough games spectre. Where. Is. Yukari?" His voice was gravely, and his lips were snarled into this indescrible scowl.

Shina landing beside him did little to quell that anger. She peered over his shoulder and was frightened off by the sight of his scowl, which dredged up horrible memories of that monsterous split personality of his.

"Alex, calm down, please..." She whispered in his ear.

"Do you seriously think she'll just give up her location if we sit down, drink tea, and pretend nothing happened?!" Alex suddenly yelled back in her face, which scared her even more. Her silent retreat struck a chord in his heart, and made it feel heavier.

With a dreadful look in his eyes he turned away and murmured, "I-I'm sorry..."

The air, for a brief moment, suddenly grew cold and lifeless. Alex lifted his head up and looked down at Yuyuko, who silently mouthed something before wearing a smile. His body tensed up and he lifted her up so hard by her collar that her hat fell off. She stared at him with lifeless eyes as he spat angrily in her face, "What the hell are you trying-"

"Thump..."

The sound was limp, cushioned by the many petals that had fallen to the ground. Alex's body felt cold, and his muscles grew weak to the point of being unable to hold onto Yuyuko any longer. As she dropped to her feet he spun his head to the left, and lost all sensation of feeling in his mind and heart.

Shina's body lied on the ground, her skin now increasingly pale. There was no blood, no wound, nothing. She didn't breath, have a pulse, nothing. There was no smile, no fear, **nothing**.

 _She was dead_.

Alex's eyes trembled, and his breath became ragged in a desperate struggle on whether he should breath or scream. He had cradled her lifeless corpse once before...No person should ever have had to experience this nightmare twice. But this wasn't a nightmare, this was once more reality at its cruelest. And he knew _exactly_ who to blame for this.

Tears flew from his eyes as he turned around with sword drawn overhead and a vicious roar scraping the sides of his throat. Halfway through delivering the killing blow to Yuyuko, however, his body just stopped. He felt nothing, not even a flicker of rage, as he collapsed at the feet of the ghostly princess. She drew her fan, hiding an expression only she knew about, as she glamed down at the boy's lifeless body without attachment or pity.

"Perhaps in another time, Phoenix of Destruction..." Was the last thing he heard whispered before the darkness drew his soul into an eternity of despair...

 **THE END.**

…

…

…

If only fate were so kind, then that would be the desired result. Committing the ultimate human folly of arrogance, Alex Whiter would die, his life tragically cut short before his ultimate triumph and redemption for the worthless life he led beforehand.

But this is not a kind universe. Its a cruel one filled with misery. Once more that meddlesome clock will tick away backwards, carrying the boy's wretched soul towards yet another second chance at redemption. How many "second chances" does he deserve...Just for being the vessel to the one you cherish most in this world, oh ignoble stone?

...Perhaps I am getting a little carried away here. It is not the time for this kind of talk. Not yet, but soon it shall be. For now, let us watch the hands of time rewind to a point not too far back, where the world branched in a somewhat different manner.

" _...Tick, tock, tick, tock..."_

Alex gasped, breathing in the air of life like a refreshing drink of water. He swung his head around, viewing the world in monochrome. Time had stopped, but not of his free will. He quickly took in the sights. Shina was behind him, her frightened face burned into his mind forever. Yuyuko was still kneeling on the ground, her mouth in the middle of moving.

"I-I...I'm back?" He patted his body down, feeling its warmth amidst the cold sweat formed on his skin.

"No...No that's not it. I...I leapt back in time? Just like with..." Alex shook his head. The logistics didn't matter. He had a second chance to save Shina's life, but the question remained as to how?

Yuyuko's power was responsible, but it seems he was dropped in the middle of her activating it.

" _What's the friggin' point then? You're just going to make me repeat..."_ While turning around stiff and frustrated at the bad hand he was dealt, Alex noticed something abnormal in the air. The lifelessness he felt before was levitated halfway between Yuyuko and Shina, a phenomenon that'd only be possible to experience in this state of frozen time.

It did have something of a physical form, but it was contorted and looked like nothing he'd ever seen before.

A feminine voice beckoned to him with a desperate plea, _"Please! You can still save her!"_

"The hell...? Where'd that voice..." Alex shook his head some more, chalking that voice up to a hallucination born of stress. But he got the gist of what he needed to do now, and was not going to hesitate in the slightest. He drew his sword and went for all seven triggers, pulling them as he ran headfirst in front of the power of death.

As time resumed his body was consumed in a golden blaze, catching Shina by surprise. The fire faded with the spread of Alex's crimson feathered wings and both his arms, which mounted an impenetrable defense between Yuyuko and Shina. He grit his teeth as tight as possible while a wispy green shield was summoned in front of him.

The power of death left a chill of anguishing crawling through his body, but otherwise...He was fine. It was a risky gambit, and had he failed he knew that would be it this time. But knowing that Yuyuko's power manifested in an invisible, **physical** form made his decision the correct one. He had defended Shina with everything he had. His Soul Shields, his body, and his very existence were all put on the line. It had felt like his greatest triumph, but sadly...This was only the beginning.

Yuyuko rose to her feet, looking far less bothered by his sudden call to protection than he was expecting. He threw his tightest scowl right in her face, and growled defiantly at her devilry, "If I said it once...I've said it a thousand times..."

His eyes flared wide open as he yelled at the ghost not in rage, but through the passion of his love, "NONE OF YOU...WILL LAY ANOTHER GODDAMN HAND ON SHINA!"

 _Next Time: Defiant to the End_


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Border of Life III: Border of Death**

One second. One second in time was all it took for Shina to feel as though she'd been flung into a fierce tempest of confusion. Alex had been standing next to her, filled with rage. Yet before she could blink he had transformed and thrown herself to her aid.

It was such a sharp whiplash of behaviors that it hurt her brain trying to comprehend it. Meanwhile, Alex stood still in front of her, refusing to budge an inch.

His own heart was racing, she could hear that clearly from here. What puzzled her most of all though was that she felt a second presence covering Alex from the front for just a little while. It was once alive, and must wielded the power of nature.

"Could this have been related to those souls everyone talked about?" Shina wondered. It certainly appeared so, but this was the first time she'd witnessed Alex use this power. And something told her he didn't call this strength on his own. Even dead, these souls held onto a dim spark of consciousness.

Alex himself felt paralyzed after coming to Shina's rescue. What ever time leaping voodoo the Gaia Temporis pulled on him didn't let him completely evade the consequences of dying. The haunting winter chill of death's hand was grasping his heart, wishing to drag his soul back to his time of death. Omnipotent though Death may be, however, its power is only such towards those without the will to live.

And Alex's will, was a fire to dwarf the sun.

Tragically, Death slunk away and left his soul free...for now. With his body feeling freed, Alex turned his full attention towards Yuyuko. The ghost had stood with her body turned aside and her fan swung up to protect a painfully forced expression of innocence.

He wanted to attack, get payback for the spirit's attempt on Shina's life. But he felt the moment he went to strike, something would happen to Shina again. He glanced back, and felt Ran lying in wait somewhere a few feet away. And also, shina didn't look ready to move anytime soon.

Fortunately, or perhaps Unfortunately, Shina doesn't get to see the things he does. To have the image of failure burned into her heart would've broken it.

"So what now?" Yuyuko spoke the first words after the last grueling minute of silence, and did so with an obvious, oblivious smile.

Alex grit his teeth to the point of trembling. If she wouldn't get to feel the rage in his fists, then she'd damned well hear the rage of his words, "You tried to kill us both...!"

"Did I? What makes you think that?" She spoke softly.

"I SAW you do it!" He snapped viciously.

"Oh? And when was this?" Yuyuko blissfully fanned herself off, "Was it...in the future?"

She slowly opened her eyes with a pale gleam, "Or maybe...from another timeline you just escaped from?"

Alex's eyes widened and shook, "H-How do you...?"

This revelation led to Shina opening her mouth to let out a coarse gasp, "Alex...You...You jumped through time again?"

He squeezed his eyes tight, unable to find a fitting response. Even HE didn't know what had happened. So he turned his gaze back onto Yuyuko and growled, "Did Yukari tell you that?"

"A little birdie told me..." Yuyuko giggled.

"Well they ought to keep their beak shut," Alex buckled his fists by his hips and slowly raised one towards her, "But you're not getting a second chance to pull that stunt now, you bitch!"

"There'll be no need for that. You're exactly where we want you to be." Yuyuko murmured with a faintly grim tone.

"...What?" Him and Shina dully responsed.

Yuyuko held her fan high above her head and asked, "But before I explain, would you like the enjoy the cherry blossoms with me?"

Alex snarled "Give me a break" only for Shina to jolt one arm skyward and exclaim, "Alex! Look!"

He did, and noticed that the mighty tree had fully bloomed. His eyes widened, completely baffled, _"No way...How could this be? This tree..."_

"Requires the power of spring to bloom?" Yuyuko finished his thoughts with startling accuracy. Once Alex set his sights on her she folded her fan and laid it upon her hand, "Yes. The deadly Saigyou Ayakashi was once a tree that'd bloom every spring, and take the lives of whoever slept at its roots."

"But then a young maiden's corpse was used a seal, taming its power. Now it requires a lot, lot more energy to awaken once again." Yuyuko pressed her folded fan against her lips and remained utterly still as she spoke stoically, "But...what is the power of spring if not another form of elemental energy?"

Alex bit his teeth as the realization of what he'd accidentally done rammed him like a bullet train. Fighting Youmu, dueling Yuyuko and Ran, it was all to get him to expend energy to feed the Ayakashi a full-course buffet of elements.

Once she felt the weight of his revelation had run its course, Yuyuko poked her fan out from her face and remarked, "And now it'll awaken to a banquet of eighteen lovely souls."

Alex looked down at his feet. Sneakier than a snake through grass, some roots had snuck past his Soul Shields and begun to attach to his shoes. He spun around and quickly snapped the roots off by leaping and ramming Shina away from the tree's base.

But as he landed and did a quick count, the number of souls came up one short, _"Wait...who's the eighteenth?"_

"Lady Yuyuko!" Youmu's panic filled in the blanks, showing Alex that the princess counted herself as one of, if not the now sole, victim of the Ayakashi's hunger.

Youmu reached for her blades, only to be knocked out via a single chop to the neck by Ran. The kitsune let the gardener fall upon her arm and then hauled her up like she was a pillow, then turned her head back towards Yuyuko.

The tree's roots had grappled all the way up to her thighs and held on tight, but she looked no worse for the wear. She smiled and nodded, and Ran nodded back. The next second, Yuyuko was tugged straight under the tree's trunk, where its bark crunched and creaked as though chewing its meal.

Alex and Shina stood up and watched the event pass in horror, even after all that Yuyuko had troubled them with. But then, the tree underwent a slight transformation. Its frontal bark splintered open with groans louder than bending metal, revealing a smooth wooden effigy of a woman with pink hair made of bright neon leaves. Her bare parts were obscured precisely by roots crawling up the tree, and her eyes were serene and shut.

"What the hell...?" Could only begin to express Alex's confusion, "She fused with the tree?"

"But of course!" Ran exclaimed with an attention seeking boastfulness, "It is her corpse buried under the tree, after all!"

The kitsune sneered his way while forming an eight-pointed glyph underfoot, "And now that the Ayakashi has tasted your powers it'll stop at nothing until you lie drained under its roots!"

" _And with Yuyuko's power, its touch of death is even stronger..."_ Alex deduced and glared at the ghost's effigy, his prior pity overshadowed once more by rage as it appeared to smile. He then looked back at Ran as she cowered behind a barrier, but he saw it a waste to try and break it.

The Ayakashi spread its branches across the sky, stretching its power for the first time in centuries. From its canopy of petals emerged dozens of pink and purple butterflies, each one haunting the Netherworld with the instantaneous touch of death.

This. This was Yuyuko's endgame all alone. To meet the Phoenix of Destruction in this form, and pose to him a single, ultimate question: "How long can you protect the one you love...Before you die yourself?"

 **SPIRIT OF THE AYAKASHI ~ The Bewitching, Hungering Tree**

He didn't know. Hell, was it even possible to defeat this supernatural being? Alex though, in some cruel, humorous, cosmic sort of way, it was fitting that one who once longed to die now had to defeat Death. So he clutched his fists and spread his gold crested wings, kneeling down while yelling, "Stay back Shina! I'll burn this tree to ash!"

He took flight with his hands cupped back, burning with golden flames. He got front and center with Yuyuko's face and swung his arms out, funneling the flames into a super hot beam no bigger than his head. The flames splashed across the trunk, and chipped away at the bark.

"Shoot!" He growled with nail-biting teeth, "Well, at least its not absorbing anymore energy, but..."

Having focused too hard on attacking, he was quickly surrounded in butterflies. His shields would protect him, certainly, but its not as though they were infinite. Suddenly, an energy he didn't want to feel rose behind him, and he quickly spun back and yelled, "You idiot! Don't-"

"Hi-YAH!" Shina, clad in the divine armor of a Valkyrie with hair glistening like sapphires, swung a broadsword as big as her in one bright, wide swathe through every butterfly in her path. She then held it before her waist in both hands and firmly nodded her head.

Alex immediately startled her with a yell, "I told you to stay back! You can't-"

The glitter sprinkled from the butterflies' remains caught Alex's attention fast, "You...can defend yourself?"

More butterflies flew straight for them, and Shina took up arms to take them down with quick slashes. As her blade glowed with her finest aura, slicing them to ribbons, Alex replayed this moment to try and deduce what was happening. But it was easy to see what she did. He'd witnessed this aspect of aura before.

" _Aura doesn't just help attacks and bolster defenses...It has healed wounds, and released stress...A power like that..."_ He swung his arms out and yelled, "Shina, your aura! Its the power of-"

"I know, I know! Its the power of Life! Geez Alex, that's elementary stuff!" She joyously proclaimed as she finished slicing the initial swarm and spun around, looking quite flustered, "So where do ya get off holding me back? Do I LOOK like Princess friggin' Peach?!"

Alex shook his head while Shina resumed combatting the butterflies, feeling quite ashamed of himself, "Ok...Ok, fine. I'm sorry..."

He rushed ahead of her and flung an explosive blast at the tree while declaring, "Just keep your guard up! And don't get close to it!"

"Don't worry! I got your back!" She declared with her sword raised high.

Shina floated away from the tree while Alex edged closer to it with sword drawn. Shina kept looking up at all times, but was awe-struck to find the sky was almost completely filled with butterflies. With her bright blade of aura she flung large energy waves towards the swarm, clearing dozens of them out at a time.

Meanwhile, Alex attacked Yuyuko's effigy directly with lightning fast slashes, carving fire into the sky. The effigy didn't appear to take damage, but Alex felt assured that he was targeting the right spot. After repeated slicing and dicing he blasted the effigy's face with flames and dashed back.

The minute he ddid a flash of pink filled his upper vision, and he was blasted by a laser. A blue shield protected him from harm, but not the attack's force. He ended up on the ground, his knees half-bent for a few seconds. Once his shield disappeared, another laser tried to hit him. He zipped back ten feet then leapt towards the second laser that came, speeding along over it.

Alex noticed that death did not accompany these lasers, meaning they were simply a distraction to waste time. Thus, he swung around and looked for Shina, finding that she was valiantly fending off butterflies while constantly on the move. But soon a laser found itself striking her hard in the back, pushing her aside and creating a brief but crucial opening. The butterflies flew in with a ravenous appetite, her forfeited life offering the perfect satiation.

Alex bit his teeth and plunged his body into the butterflies' path, using a grey shield as a ramming tool to blow them away. Shina recovered and turned around, attacking a laser with a swift strike. But this one had a more spherical tip, which broke upon meeting her blade.

Eight curved lasers shot out from it and rounded her to go for Alex, battering him repeatedly to distance him from Shina. He struck back against the last two with a hard, vicious slash, firing a large wave of flames at the tree too.

Shina sent a couple of her own waves out in a broad pearl-white cross. The tree swept the air and ground with a prolonged beam, cutting down all the attacks and causing Alex and Shina to split.

Alex quickly wanted to get back to her. Yuyuko had other plans. He was quickly bombarded with frontal lasers, setting off his yellow shield. He braced himself in the air, making progress instead of losing it. He watched Shina flip and spin around, carving a way through the butterflies with swift, weightless slashes. She must have been feeling invincible, an arrogant mindset in any other scenario.

She was able to throw in the occasional attack on the tree, but it didn't seem to do much either. EVEN STILL, Alex didn't lose faith that they were hurting the Ayakashi, The certainty of its desperation assured him of such.

Shina looked to be getting overwhelmed, especially from behind. Personally, Alex found he was getting annoyed being pinned down by these lasers. So he reached for the Gaia Temporis and froze time, then barreled straight to Shina's aid. He wreathed his body in flames and drilled through the butterflies behind her, still using the yellow shield as protection.

Then time resumed as he rose and flew towards the tree's branches, still spinning. He burned through many of the petals then broke out with his wings spread and hands covered in a bright, sub-zero frost. Sporting a confident smile, he thrust his hands down and flash froze the tree's whole canopy.

The butterflies still phased through, but with the lasers stalled he was free to assault the tree directly. He descended after catching his breath, blasting through the butterflies with the help of his wings and a brown shield.

He pounded the effigy's face while upside-down, then spun around and smashed it with a double backhand. But his punches felt somewhat heavier. He saw his hands had been given thick aura gauntlets, a gift that Shina gave with the quickest wink as she alternated between attacking the butterflies and the tree.

Alex smiled with a "Heh!" before spinning around and battering the tree like a wild top. After fifty punches he slowed down and thrust his palms in deep against the effigy's chest, shattering the gauntlets.

He wished to add a little more to his assault, but the ice he made was giving in to some immense pressure. He backed away as the glacier shattered, hailing the lights of armageddon to rain upon the entire battlefield. Alex and Shina were quickly grounded by this vast assortment of lasers, which quaked the Netherworld and uprooted the ground for yards around.

Alex was saved by his icy-blue shield, but could only dread rather than thank it presence. He had but one shield left to spare in this set, after all. The pressure of the lasers held him down with surprising effectiveness, even as he pushed against it with all his might. Shina couldn't have been faring much better, even with her aura. But it was hard to tell, the amount of lasers filled his vision with pale pink light, while its close proximity drowned his eardrums with a deafening screech.

The butterflies kept on coming, unimpeded by the chaos. Alex focused all his strength into his left arm, wreathing it in flames as hot as a volcano's magma. The heat remained contained to this single point, leaving the ground untouched. He swung his arm back, fighting against the pressure even as it sprained his elbow.

It was a wild guess, one whose failure would be catastrophic for his sanity. But these days it seemed that cheating death was just a part of his arsenal, even going so far as to cheat others out of it. So he squeezed his eyes shut, put all his trust in his crappy luck to not screw him over, and fired a massive, massive beam of fire.

The lasers were burned straight through, clearing the way for Shina to escape. She breathed a heavy sigh and slipped away in a flash the moment after. Then she followed the trail of fire to its obvious destination and gathered aura into her blade until its thickness was tripled.

From there she slashed down the same path Alex's flames had traveled, creating a wide enough umbrella to free him up as well. But he didn't leave right away. No, he was hungry for some payback now. While his shield still remained up he took the freedom he had regained to clutch his fists and expand the power he had just exerted out to the rest of his body.

He levitated off the ground, which split wide open in seconds, and once enough energy had built up he rocketed straight through Shina's guard and punctured through the laser that had once troubled him. He escaped the beam halfway through and rammed the tree with his bare forehead. Even with protection, the recoil of this attack stung like the worst headache imaginable.

A second after a shockwave spread out and wiped away every last laser and butterfly in the immediate vicinity. Even Shina had to fall down and pin her sword to the ground just to not be blown away. At the tree's trunk a loud creaking began to occur, with the roots being ripped up. Even just forcing the whole Ayakashi to lean back an inch was a feat worthy of praise!

But it was far from over. The Ayakashi was **just** getting starting. Its sprang its roots forth from its ajar trunk and lashed them towards Alex. He had presumed a shield would come to his protection, but it did not. Thus the roots quickly acclimated to his body, ensnaring his legs, arms and wings like he'd been caught in a spider's web.

He deduced that the reason for his shield's failure to activate was because they only activated in the face of a threat. And because the tree had absorbed so much of his elemental energy, it was able to mimic a familiarity the souls wouldn't bat an idea towards. Truly, this was only possible for Yuyuko because Yukari said so.

But roots are roots, and are easily burned. Alex flexed his muscles, but could only muster half the effort necessary before an intoxicating spell was cast over him. The roots crept into his ears, their thimble, nimble hairs connecting with his eardrums and whispering a seductive moan using a deep mock-up of Yuyuko's voice, _"Go to sleep...Aren't you tired? Go to sleep..."_

The spark of life in his eyes flickered off, but were you to see the world through his eyes you'd still be able to see the tree. The roots quietly drained his vitality for itself, a bold act that Shina would not let go unpunished.

"Alex!" She stalled in the middle of her fight her skin painted pale with fright. She then tugged her sword down by her hip and her hair flared up. The butterflies surrounded her, allured by her determination.

But they'd soon find it was not just the boy whose will to live shone hot like a sun. Shina blazed a trail forward, enveloped in an impenetrable shell. Death threw itself in droves, only to die itself.

She drew her sword out and screamed "I won't let you have him!" then tore the roots asunder with a single cut. The moment they were separated, the ones attached to Alex cracked and dried, becoming ash as he angrily set his body ablaze.

Shina didn't stop there and spun her blade back, primarily grasped in her left hand. She dug the sword's whole edge into Yuyuko's effigy and raised it until at the head. Her aura was unleashed in a wave that resembling a surfacing torpedo, and exploded like one upon breeching the canopy. The tree bore a scar in the wake of this attack, even if it was only surface deep.,

Shina's fist pump of victory got cut short by Alex grabbing her by the waist and making a run for it. He rammed through the butterflies with a red shield at his back, stopping only once fifty feet away. Once he let go and started panting, Shina spun back and gazed upon him with concern.

"How much did it drain you?!"

"N-Not much..." He wheezed with a face that looked positively haunted, biting his teeth down before he continued, "But...I need you to defend me for...a minute. Ok?"

"Of course! But...why?" She asked while turning back around.

"I burned through my first set of shields. Until the second's ready I can't do jack shit about those butterflies." Alex squeezed his eyes shut and couldn't believe had had to say that seriously.

But that Shina chuckled at that showed her strength of spirit wasn't wavering. She faced the encroaching horde of deadly butterflies, no longer holding a blade of steel, but both their lives in her hands. She raised it up high then swung it right back down, making nary a sound. Her arms were pushed to their limits as she swung and swung without stopping.

Her biceps started becoming numb, her body sweated profusely from head-to-toe, but her defense had no weakness. If a butterfly seemed prepared to slip by, she adjusted the angle of attack or sent out a projectile to intercept it.

The Ayakashi used its snack from Alex to start firing more lasers, aiming for Shina's wrists. Having fended off the attacks valiantly for thirty seconds, these lasers managed to expose the first signs of faltering in her defenses. A few butterflies slipped by, and went straight for Alex.

Twenty-five seconds remained, all to be spent evading the approaching death. Alex bit his teeth and initiated a sweeping gale to throw the butterflies far off-course. Some of them flew around it, making him retreat with haste.

But with retreat came a cost. There was no one to protect Shina's back, and the butterflies sought to take advantage of that. A couple broke off and made a beeline for her. Fifteen seconds remained. Too long to throw his body in the way.

Alex dropped to the ground and pounded it like he wanted to atomize a skyscraper. Multiple pillars of stone then erupted between him and Shina. Though it couldn't stop the butterflies, it would take time for them to phase through.

Ten painfully long seconds were left, and the obstacles still came without end. Now the lasers curved around Shina to decimate his pillars. Yet because of that, Alex saw an opportunity to deal with the butterflies attacking Shina. He broke one of his pillar with a thought and turned the pebbles to glass, then threw them in one of the laser's paths. Its course was split and diverted until they burning right through the two butterflies.

Five seconds...Some butterflies were inches from his face. Death was cold and unwelcome as usual, freezing Alex's feet to the ground. His heart, however, remained burning with the vigor of life, and flowed through into his blood. His right arm bolted down and touched the Gaia Temporis, freezing time with two seconds remaining. The butterflies were within breathing distance, too close for comfort...

He used this respite to come up with a plan of attack, a decisive blow strong enough to topple even the Ayakashi. But it would require Shina's undivided attention, so after walking around the butterflies he resumed time and let the last two seconds pass. The butterflies flew back into a second green shield and were destroyed, with him not throwing a glance back their way. He then flew past Shina and used the shield to destroy the swarm that hounded her, relieving her of that harrowing post.

She hung her arms low and after some wheezing joked, "My arms are gonna be ripped after this is over!"

Alex flew in front of her and swung his wings back to cover her, then begun to explain his plan, "Shina, I need you to surround the whole tree in a sphere of aura, but leave a hole big enough for me to slip through."

"Oh...sure...no problem..." She gasped with a sweat drenched face.

"When I give the word, you'll then need to close it up and compress it around the entire tree. Got it?"

"I said I got yer back, didn't I?" She ignited her blade and braved on ahead, gently brushing Alex's cheek as she turned back and said, "But this time, why don't you cover mine?"

"...Heh, no argument here." He responded with a shrug.

Shina headed off first and drag her sword across the air, cutting a curved trail of compressed aura along the way. Alex kept pace and threw his body around her, using the second blue shield to decimate any butterflies that came after. And for any lasers, he just punched them away with equal force.

After completing one full circle around the Ayakashi, they moved to make another on the other side. The lasers and butterflies grew more frequent and desperate, but Alex kept up with a firm defiance of the laws of physics due to how snappy his movements were.

With two complete rings, Shina turned her blade to the side and the energies contained the rings within spread out to encase the Ayakashi in a sphere, leaving a perfect sized whole for Alex to fly through. Alex thanked her with a nod, then threw his arms out and set them on fire.

He charged for the hole, but the Ayakashi funneled all its lasers and butterflies through it to create an impenetrable plug. It was a geyser of unimaginable power, and Alex was slowly feeling his body being forced back. He grit his teeth, his whole body surrounded with golden flames whose intensity shone brighter the more he pressed on.

He swung his head forward and screamed, the golden flames exploding to become white. Shina closed her eyes and backed away, swinging her arm up to feed Alex some of her aura. With their strengths combined, Alex's white flames turned a pale blue and allowed him to make progress through the onslaught.

He had to act fast, the energies within the sphere were threatening to shatter it. Yuyuko's effigy was in his sights, and the faster he flew the more his fists burned. He pressed his fists together, combining their power until one single hammer of flames. He smashed into the effigy's chest and at that VERY moment, brought one hand down to the Gaia Temporis and yelled "NOW SHINA!" as time was stopped.

He bolted out of the sphere in a few seconds and resumed time, dazed from the overuse of the stone's power. But Shina did her duty, and did it well. She started to collapse the sphere as the onslaught of energy from the Ayakashi stopped, replaced instead by an out-of-control inferno. Shina concentrated deeply, struggling to hold back Alex's incredible power. It felt like she was holding back the expansion of a newborn sun.

Yuyuko's effigy, consumed by the undying flames, started to stir. Her eyes trembled, and her lips began to frown. Her thoughts then drifted just a little bit into the past...

" _Its almost time, isn't it?" She spoke while sitting atop a patio of a fancy abode._

" _Are you ready, Yuyuko?" A woman with long golden locks and a simple purple dress inquired._

" _...You are positive this will put an end to the Phoenix of Destruction?"_

" _..." The woman stood up and walked with a white parasol in hand, "...There is a chance your life will end, this time forever. So I ask of you again, old friend...Are you ready?"_

" _So is that a yes, or a no?"_

" _..."_

 _Yuyuko rose to her feet and floated around to look her friend in the face with a smile, "You'll do it. I know you will. So does it matter if I die? I've already had quite an enjoyable afterlife anyways, tee-hee."_

" _..."_

The last thing Yuyuko remembered seeing was a single tear down her friend's cheek, which glistened like a diamond. She smiled, letting the flames continue to swallow her whole, as the one tear she shed was turned to mist in a nanosecond.

After ten seconds of this Alex swung his right arm and exclaimed, "That's enough! Break it off!"

Shina shattered the sphere to shards and let out one final gasp, looking on the verge of collapse. Alex propped her up by the abodomen, and she smiled in thanks. They then looked to the Ayakashi. It was as black as the sky, even its petals, with the only thing untouched being Yuyuko's effigy, which was already showing signs of cracking.

It split open all at once, and Yuyuko's ghastly body dropped out onto the ground with a soft thud. She was still breathing, but didn't have the energy to kneel or stand. And once more, the deadly Saigyou Ayakashi wilted into hibernation...

Alex stared down for a bit, then gently pushed Shina away and floated down to Yuyuko. Shina didn't exactly feel a 'friendly' vibe coming from him and quickly followed after him. He dropped his Phoenix Form and summoned his sword, standing a couple feet away from the princess' head.

She would no longer be able to use her power of death against them. Not until she recovered. But she needed to be awake NOW, so he could force Yukari's location out of her.

...Or _did_ he?

He clutched his sword tightly and held it up between his face and Yuyuko. His mind was going down a dark road, and Shina quickly had to yell at him not to, "Alex! I know what you're thinking, but don't do it!"

She stared at him fiercely, but he didn't comply and yelled at her back, "She tried to kill us Shina! This isn't something we can just overlook!"

"I-I know she tried to kill us! But its not like she's a threat to anyone else! Once we deal with Yukari and leave Gensokyo-"

"Whose to say Yukari hasn't had Yuyuko use her power to kill other people?!" Alex scrounged up the most pitiful of justifications, and Shina wasn't about to let that slide.

"Listen to yourself Alex! This isn't you! Its your other self talking!" Her desperate plea reached his ears and made him grimace.

But then he swung his head away and bitterly grit his teeth while staring down at Yuyuko.

" _What else am I supposed to do?"_ He asked himself while reviewing his options, _"Yuyuko's the one thing Yukari cares about...I-If I don't do this, how the hell else am I going to find her?!"_

Thoughts of killing someone's most precious person straggled in his mind, weighed down by sheer hypocrisy. But they couldn't force his blade to drop, and in fact he began to raise it overhead. He moved too fast for Shina to stop, but he didn't WANT anything to stop him now.

Yukari had done enough to harm him. Done enough to harm _Shina_. In his eyes, it was time to make that arrogant _**bitch**_ bleed back.

...Very well then, Phoenix of Destruction.

Shina swung her arm out and screamed Alex's name, beginning to cry. But it was too late. His blade came down, and a second later...His whole body was swallowed up in a gap filled with eyes. Shina saw the eyes, gasped, and knew exactly what this meant.

Staggering back with both hands planted on her mouth, she looked around. It was futile. Alex had been snatched up by Yukari, and she had been left behind. What she saw before his departure stuck in her head and refused to leave. There was no hesitation in his swing. Yuyuko would've been dead had Yukari been a second later.

She didn't want to believe that what she saw was real. And yet, it was as real as it could get. Not even her words were able to stave his fury this time. And if this was how he was feeling now...There was no telling how badly things would escalate when he was in Yukari's presence.

"No...No no no!" The devilish howls of the boy's second personality scared her into facing the docile Ran with tearful eyes of fury. The kitsune had dropped her barrier and walked out with a stride of confidence, and a smile as smug as could be.

"How does it feel? To have believed in a person's good nature...Only for them to spit in your face?" Ran gently brushed her claw out from her sleeve and squinted her eyes partway shut, "But...I suppose the Phoenix of Destruction never qualified as a person, now did he?"

Ran had to throw her hand up to defend herself against Shina's blade, which came down with the strength of an axe. She pressed hard, causing the kitsune's knees to start bending, much to her shock. Ran threw Shina's blade a little aside then leapt back, letting the ground be smashed where she stood.

Shina raised her blade with tears flowing without end and growled with a deeper tone, "...Take me to her."

Ran raised her chin and smirked, "Oh?"

"Take me to Yukari, damn it!" Shina roared in rage as her power flared like a wildfire.

"And why should I?" The kitsune said while brushing the bottom of her chin, "Even if I could, I wouldn't."

Shina hung her head, covering her face with the shadow of her bangs while murmuring in melancholy, "You...You caused Alex to act like this."

She threw a terrible scowl towards the heartless kitsune and screamed at the top of her lungs, "You just couldn't stop hounding him, could you?! Even though he did nothing wrong to any of you!"

"You're right. He didn't do anything to us. His mere existence is a crime in of itself," Ran leaned her head forward as a bloodthirsty glimmer shone from the corner of her eye, "Though to say that he ever really 'existed' would be somewhat of a lie."

"Shut up!" Shina was having none of it, "You're going to take me to Yukari or so help me...!"

Ran swung her claws out and bore her fangs, shredding the thick tension in the air as her beastial nature took root upon the lands, "You'll kill me? This isn't a fight you want, Aurian...Not when you're so close to your goal, no?"

Shina froze up for a bit, but then held her sword tighter near her waist. Ran scoffed, shaking her head with a dismissive nonchalance, "You know what? Forget it...That 'boy' you loved is never coming back."

Shina lost the will to breathe as Ran swung her right claws up and growled with a cutthroat attitude, "So I shall just put you out of your misery myself..."

"Y-You won't succeed! I don't care what you say!" Shina took up arms, fighting with a firm belief in the good of Alex's heart, even after just seeing him at his worst. Ran was disgusted by her undying faith, believing it was worth spitting upon. But she had her own faith to rely upon...The faith that her master would swiftly put an end to the Phoenix of Destruction's legacy.

...But little does she know, it'll not go as easily as she expects it to.

 _Next Time: The Mastermind's Story_


	29. Chapter 29

_There was this girl. A girl who looked like any other, yet unique in so many ways. She lived a long, long time ago. So long ago, in fact, that she lived in the future. Not in the sense of aesthetically, per se. There was no apocalypse. No resetting of societal development. No, the future this girl lived in is a future that has yet to be, yet also one that has come to pass._

 _This conundrum, this...mystery, its a rather quaint way of describing the kind of life this girl would lead. But every story cannot have a middle or an end without a beginning. Perhaps, however, its a curse that this story had any of these at all._

 _But there's no point prattling on about any sort of "crimes" that may have been committed against this girl's life. She existed, and her story is all that matters now._

 _A person's life, naturally, begins with their birth. But there are some things that must elaborated on regarding the circumstances behind this girl's birth. In the future, lets say around...21XX, humanity has begun to stagnate. They have drones to handle everyday duties. Cars no longer require tires or wheels to operate. And any food you want is about a button press away._

 _But the cost of these luxuries was steep, and irreversible. The energy output, combined with the choice of materials needed to manufacture these luxuries, polluted most of the planet. Hundreds of species of wildlife were made extinct. Smaller cities were considered uninhabitible and a waste of time to maintain, and were thus wiped clean off the map._

 _And due to the way the food was made and how widespread and easily obtained it was, many humans ended up being sterilized. A staggering 85% of them, to be precise. But if it was any consolation, at least this ceased any further need to discuss overpopulation._

 _But against the odds, a miracle occurred for two loving parents. They gave birth to a lovely, healthy daughter. She only weighed just a couple ounces below average, and had eyes said to be as pretty as violets. She cries only a little, and was easily comforted by her mother's warmth._

 _The girl was given a strange name, one without an easily discernable English spelling. Its possible that she was chosen to be named after this berry that becomes purple upon ripening, but none can say for certain. Her name, you ask? Why, it is - -. It was a lovely name, but one that would only last with her but a mere iota of her life._

 _She grew up as a middle-class girl. Well, middle-class as far as the standards of the past would go. In the future, the once middle-class is now considered the lower-class. But that doesn't mean that she lived a life of hardship. Rather, in spite of the changing standards of wealth, her family had just enough money to provide her with food and clothes._

 _Her favorite clothing included anything with purple in it. She liked dresses a lot. It was perhaps the only normal, girly thing about her. And she was rarely seen without a white mob cap._

 _There was a blessing to her not being gifted with the luxuries that most others had. She only remained glued to a chair when she wanted to read. Otherwise, she spent many hours of the day frollicking through the world outside her house._

 _She learned early on that she a peculiar way of viewing her surroundings. Normal kids her age would hop across puddles and sing simple jingles as their bare feet became soaked in mud._

 _But when she hopped along through puddles, she felt like she was leaping between different worlds. She could describe differences in these worlds as though they were clear like the sky._

 _One world had flowers near the puddles, another had clean water in the puddles, another world was in a perpetual state of night. This wasn't an overactive imagination at work, nor the makings of a brilliant novelist. What she saw was just...real._

 _Now the girl's parents remained supportive of what she saw, though only as much as someone of their normal upbringings could be expected to. They listened to her "strange" tales and smiled and encouraged her. But for all their love, the girl felt this distance, this boundary between them and her._

 _It didn't just extend to her parents either. The girl had no friends to speak of. There was no one, absolutely no one, who appeared to share her view of the world. She'd get called a weirdo, a freak, a loon. But she never felt any worse for it. She just smiled her way through life, using it as an umbrella to ward off the pain both mental and physical._

 _She didn't have any friends, but that's never what she wanted. Deep, deep down, she simply longed just to have someone who understood her view of the world._

 _Life moved on, day in and day out. The girl's mind grew stronger, and her stories stranger. Her parents started to wonder if there was something wrong with their daughter. Her mother, at the very least, suspected that she had inherited her family's ability to sense the supernatural, which had skipped her generation._

 _But tests came up negative on that front. She was normal. Her brain, normal. She was an odd thinker, certainly. She was a smart thinker, definitely. But neither of that made her a_ _ **sick**_ _thinker. Nothing she did equated to insanity. To the rest of the world, she was simply someone who happened to think differently from her peers._

 _That would all soon change, however, when she went to high school..._

 _Though her views of the world were different, this girl had a brilliant academic mind and was able to digest any given curriculum like a computer would. Her grades were considered top of the class, which while it may have added to her everyday ridicule, did have its own merits too._

 _An educational emissary from Kyoto, Japan came to the girl's middle school, having traveled the world over in search of the brightest minds to carry on their education at his high-school back home. He set his eyes on the girl instantly, seeing her as someone of great potential._

 _Her history didn't matter to him. He never even got the change to hear any naysayers slander the girl's name. He made his offer to the girl's parents, and they were both ecstatic and worried. On one hand, the girl's normal talents were being recognized. On the other hand, her abnormal talents might come under further scrutiny on the other side of the world. And without them around to help her, she might go crazy._

 _But they couldn't ignore the truth. Their daughter was a lot stronger than her dainty appearance would suggest. An opportunity like this couldn't be passed up. So it was with a heavy heart that the girl be allowed to go to Japan, where she'd be given her own apartment and luxuries to survive with. Little did she know, however, was the day she left would be the last time she'd see her parents in person..._

 _There was some time before she officially started high-school, so the girl spent her days reading up on the native language, and testing it out by wandering the city. She'd gotten so used to life in a normal city that this 'utopia' overwhelmed her at first. Though it didn't take long for her to realize that in spite of the grander scale and prettier buildings, this city wasn't any different from her own._

 _She was discouraged from discussing her supernatural view of the world by her parents, with them claiming it was because she had the ability to start over fresh with people who hadn't seen her before. Though it didn't work entirely as expected. She was still 'strange', but only because she was a foreigner attempting to acclimate to a new culture._

 _It was a struggle to not want to talk about the things she saw. There were other worlds in every mirror and window she walked past, strange and bewildering sights that'd spice up any human's droll, everyday life. But perhaps if she were patient, she'd find someone receptive to her stories after all._

 _High school began, starting off about as normally as one would expect it to. Attendance was called. Classes were given out. Introductions were made. Friendships were formed. But the girl just sat alone, feeling no connection to anyone._

 _There was something...different about high school though, especially in Japan. Clubs, gathering places for people of similar interests, were encouraged greatly. The girl sought out a list of these clubs, and was almost drawn by destiny to the name of one particular one._

" _ **The Sealing Club"**_

" _Come one! Come all! If you are interested in seeking out the paranormal and supernatural phenomenon of the world, then seek me out every day after school in Room XXX."_

 _The advertisement read like a joke to anyone but this girl. Without a word of comment towards the club's purpose, she wandered off to this room and opened the door without hesitation. The atmosphere of this room was spooky. There were voodoo dolls hung from the ceiling, a summoning seal drawn on a wall with red chalk, and vials of tomato paste made to look like blood._

 _The girl had almost believed she had wandered into a necromancer's cult...And with a smile she walked deeper into the room. In such a small room she quickly found its lone occupant, a girl her age with a fashionable white suit, brown dress and a black hat with a bow. Her hair was short and brown, and her overall demeanor made her look as mature as adults twice her age._

 _This curious girl tried to put on a show, bombastically claiming that this was a lair to revive a powerful demon lord. But instead of warding her guest off, she simply sat down and asked her questions on how she'd go about that._

 _The facade that girl wore quickly shattered as she came to understand that she had found someone who shared a similar, genuine interest in the occult as she did. So they ended up talking to each other for hours on end about the occult. The girl had interesting tales to tell about seeing other worlds, all of which the club's leader tried to rationalize with an objective view and logic._

 _The leader couldn't deny that there appeared to be some truth to this girl's stories. Nothing about the way she spoke came across as condescending or mocking. She wanted more elaboration on what the girl was seeing, but sadly they were forced to leave the school._

 _They made a silent vow to meet up again the next day to continue their discussion, and so they did. The leader of the club formally introduced herself as - -, and welcomed the girl into her club. The girl inquired about the origin of the club, and why this girl had such a vested interest in it._

 _That girl explained how her grandmother had founded the club during her high-school years. That girl's grandmother told her many stories when she was young about how she had succeeded in traveling to another world, and met many wonderful friends there. But she always mourned how she could never bring back believeable proof of her ventures, or find someone to journey with her..._

 _Those stories always intrigued that girl, and so she decided to recreate the Sealing Club when she got into high-school. The girl believed that it was fate that brought the two together, but that girl didn't believe in something as indescribable as that._

 _Thus, with only two members to their name, the Sealing Club had been reborn stronger than ever before. With one girl's strange ability to see beyond the scope of their world and another's deductive reasoning to rationalize the strange phenomenon they encounter, they set out to unravel the mysteries of their otherwise stagnate world._

 _They decided that one of their first tasks would be to find an entrance to the Netherworld, of which a picture had been captured by that girl's grandmother and passed down to her. That girl also revealed a peculiar ability of her own. She can tell the current time by looking at the stars and the current place by looking at the moon, making her something of a walking, talking GPS._

 _With the help of her ability and the girl's peculiar view, they were able to deduce from the photo where to go in Japan in order to find the entrance to the Netherworld. That girl's face expressed the perfect look of shock when the girl's powers showed them that world. It was the reverse of what she normally looked like. Her eyes were lit up like a child's, and her mouth was ajar as though draining every last breath she carried in a single gasp._

 _They were only there a few scant moments, but they'd never forget the panorama of cherry blossoms. That was the day a friendship that'd last an eternity was born. No words of such a thing had to be exchanged between them. They simply were friends._

 _Their adventures continued as they pleased. Sometimes they'd just spend days sitting in a cafe after school discussing old occult tales they read about as children. Other times they'd try and seek out the supernatural mysteries of their world. Maybe they'd also just...ride a train all day long. Anything to fill the humdrum of everyday life with fun._

 _The girl's powers weren't entirely consistent. Sometimes they'd instantly find a boundary to another world, other times they would not. But there was no denying that her powers were steadily growing, and soon consistency became as constant as the natural blinking of ones eyelids._

 _Though that merely led to a different phenomenon occuring for the girl. She'd come to experience visiting a strange world in her dreams. A world so similar to theirs, yet so different too. There were flowers. Real flowers. Nothing artificial like in their world. Yes, even the wet grass, which tickled the delicate gaps between her toes, was real._

 _The girl wandered this dream and was ambushed by a terrifying creature that looked much like a mouse. She was frightened for the first time as the creature looked ready to eat her whole. It was certainly big enough to do so. But a girl wreathed in flames saved her life by merely existing, causing the mouse to flee with its tail between its legs and drop a strange piece of paper._

 _When the girl picked up that paper, her dream came to an end...and that paper came with her._

 _She showed that paper and explained her dream to her friend the next day. At the time the girl didn't realize it, but her friend was worried for her well-being. Her friend believed that her dream could one day supplant her reality, and she'd be unable to come back._

 _Through a slow, subtle process, her friend lessened the amount of activities they did in hopes that that dream world would never surface again. And it was quite a while before it did. Before they knew it, they had graduated to a university._

 _The girl took up a major in relativistive psychology, while her friend took up one in physics. They certainly had the minds to handle such difficult knowledge._

 _But the standards of society were but a secondary thought in their curious hearts. The girl's friend didn't want to lose her, but realized that it was very, very wrong to deny the kind of person she was. So it wasn't long after starting to go to the university that they resumed their activities as the Sealing Club._

 _After being inspired by the new of public tours to the moon, the girl had an idea. A bold, wishful idea, but one she pursued without a care in the world. She brought her friend to a fountain in an empty park late at night, where the rippling waters reflected the visage of the full moon up above._

 _Much like the puddles she pranced about on as a kid, she perceived the reflection of the water as a portal to the moon. She didn't brave this journey alone, however. Her friend was able to come along this time._

 _When one thinks about the moon, they say 'its an inhospitable rock floating prettily in the night sky'. These two would get to see the moon in a way no one could have_ _ **possibly**_ _have imagined. There was a sea, there were trees filled with peaches. It was a glimpse into paradise, and proof that humanity could still extend its reach beyond the world they had grounded themselves to._

 _...But no one would believe them. Any picture they took would be seen as a hoax. So they kept this journey to themselves, making it yet another cherished memory._

 _Their next step was to visit the micro-habitat space station TORIFUNE, which had been left floating at a Lagrangian point between the Earth and Moon. It was said that no life could thrive on this space station anymore, but with the moon as their evidence they vowed to disprove these claims._

 _They used a shrine dedicated to Ame-no-Torifune as a gateway to the space station, which carried a similar shrine inside. There they were greeted by a flourishing jungle, and wildlife the likes of which they had never seen. The girl saw them akin to the legendary chimerae from Greece._

 _On their way out of the space station, one of these chimera suddenly attacked the girl and left her arm scarred. Her friend rushed her right to the hospital, but could not explain how this scar came to be. The doctor's were forced to deduce her affliction with normal, human logic, and realized that it was unlike anything they had ever seen._

 _The girl dealt with sleepwalking and intense hallucinations, and it was believed that if she were kept in the hospital that over people would be infected as well. So she was sent to the mountains for isolation treatment, and was kept prisoner there for a few weeks._

 _By the time she had returned to her friend, the hardships of recovering from the treatment had made her powers grow more. Now she could see the dreams of that other world while awake, and share her visions of that world by placing her hands over someone's eyes._

 _Her friend grew increasingly concerned that the girl's powers were growing too fast and too beyond her control. Yet they continued to do their normal activities. They visited that other world together many a time, even seeing places such as Hell._

 _But when by herself, the girl was slipping deeper and deeper into that other world. Sometimes she'd only be there a couple hours, other times she'd be gone for days. She'd describe these events in passing to her friend like they were no big deal, and eventually her friend grew sick and tired of playing passively._

 _She screamed and begged her friend to not disappear forever. For the first time in her life the girl saw the vulnerable side of her friend. Her eyes bled tears, her heart raced so fast that she could hear it, and she squeezed the girl's arms so tight that they felt ready to bleed._

 _The friend commanded the girl not to leave for that other world without her. Because if she did, that meant the dream with nothing in it meant more to her than a reality with something irreplaceable. The girl understood her wish and vowed not to leave her side._

 _...That was the last time she'd ever "lie"._

 _Human's have been cursed with curiosity. Ever since Adam and Eve were tempted by the fruit from the Tree of Sin, humans have been led astray by the inquires of their heart. The girl just wanted to learn more about that other world in her dreams. She had felt she hadn't known_ _ **nearly**_ _enough. Oh, if only the hands on the clock could be so easily rewound..._

 _Not even a day after hearing her friend's heartfelt cry, the girl slipped into a dream late at night. But the world she visited did not feel the same as before. The trees were lifeless, not even shaking their leaves to the tune of the wandering breeze. The grass was dry, and crawled between her toes like roughened bones. She could yell, but received no answer beyond her own echo._

 _It was a dead world. A nightmare._

 _She turned around and demanded escape, throwing her hand towards the lifeless sky in some vain attempt to tear her way through. It was a valiant attempt, but...The universe had already decided the path she'd tread. She ripped open a hole in the boundary of reality, and was greeted by hundreds of creepy, ovular eyes with blank red irises. They didn't move, yet all remained focused on her even as she tried to retreat, dragging her feet like they were made of concrete._

 _The darkness within this gap grabbed the girl and pulled her right in, sealing the way out. She was thrown to a solid surface, and had the strength only to lift up on her knees and question the eyes as to their purpose. They responded with a dreadful silence, piercing her body with stares filled with knowledge._

 _What they knew, as boundless as infinity, was slowly imprinted into the girl's fragile mind. She couldn't handle the strain and fell into a deep slumber. Her dreams, once a bastion of wonderment, were now the only memories she had of a time she'd be unable to return to. She imagined herself reaching out to the world she lived in, only for it to become dust beneath her fingertips._

 _She cried herself throughout the years it took before she awoke again. When she did, the eyes resumed feeding her information, repeating a cycle of rest and pain for many, many millenia. Her body barely aged a day at this point. She looked and felt different, but still believed herself to be the same girl she was long ago._

 _Her carefree nature was viciously ripped asunder, exposing a delicate maiden who screamed and begged to see her friend again until her throat was as dry as chalk. Her cries echoed through a dimension of entities without cause for empathy towards her plight._

 _She was alone. Alone and forgotten._

 _The cycle repeated more and more, with no end in sight. The girl just sat there and took it, tangled in a mess of hair and tears. The bitter realization that she would never see her friend again, and that she likely died not knowing what had happened to her...It drove her mad._

 _She started clawing at the eyes and at herself, snarling like a beast with rabies. The dress she had kept clean for so long had been torn to ribbons drenched in blood. Yet in its first departure from the norm, the eyes reached out to her and healed her wounds by stitching the darkness between them. Their touch was like a ghost's, like they weren't even there at all._

 _Then they gave her a new dress, one that reached to her ankles. It was almost as though it had been specifically prepared for this moment. The girl didn't want to believe that to be true, that this nightmare was predestined from the day she was born...So she simply didn't. She denied the truth so strongly that it ceased to exist in her mind._

 _She tried to communicate more and more with the darkness, but they'd only heed her littlest requests. When she asked to see the outside world, they opened a gap with a grainy view, letting the girl see her planet from space._

 _She almost couldn't recognize it now. The waters had thinned, the lands were grey and cracked, and perhaps only 1% of the surface had any plant life to sustain itself with. It was a foreign world, almost a fleeting dream..._

 _So she diverted her attention towards the stars in space. In the years that had passed since she arrived, their lights were beginning to flicker out one-by-one. Stargazing reminded her of her old friend, and made her heart reawaken with a heavy pain..._

 _So the darkness closed the way to the outside for good, and gently guided the girl to a deep slumber. More millenia passed for her in hibernation, only for to reawaken suddenly through a terrifying realization. Without a conscious thought, her mind was able to track the flow of time down to the attosecond. The weight of how long she had been trapped in here drove her insane._

 _She begged the darkness to just put an end to her misery, but it did not answer. She screamed, screamed, and screamed some more until her voice simply died out. It took many years for it to heal, but it was never the same. Now it was deeper, elegant, much like an aristocratic woman._

 _Who could care about such a thing though? Certainly not her. Certainly not_ _ **anyone**_ _considered sane._

 _Finally she had had enough of the darkness' irreverent silence. She_ _ **would**_ _control the power that had trapped her, and make her escape. It didn't matter if there was nothing for her out there. She couldn't handle another day in solitude._

 _It took far too long to even calculate, but eventually was able to twist and channel the darkness into her body. Perhaps it was due to them sharing a supernatural connection to the boundary, but the darkness did not put up much resistance._

 _Once again, as though this was all meant to be..._

 _The girl broke out through the darkness...And what she saw destroyed any last trace of innocence and hope she may have had._

 _There wasn't a twinkle of light within the darkness. The sun, so radiant and golden red, was gone. The Earth, her home she had loved so much, was little more than rocks floating amongst a pitch black expanse._

 _There was nothing left._

 _Humanity was gone._

 _The planets were gone._

 _Perhaps...everything but her was gone._

 _She retreated into the darkness, and cried. She cried and cried until the rest of the universe's time had passed her by in what felt like a minute._

 _Then there was a flash, a blinding flash that breeched through all dimensions, and shook reality to its core._

 _There were many theories on how the universe came to be. Some theorized that it was simply there all along. Others claimed that it was birthed from a single point known as The Big Bang._

 _The girl had lived so, so very long that she was able to confirm this truth with her own two eyes._

 _The Big Bang was real. It birthed the universe with a mighty, silent flash of light, heralding the first signs of life. It was a renewal unlike any other._

 _So in light of this renewal, the girl discarded her previous self entirely, and took upon a new name. She then wandered this new universe and watched as many worlds lived and died over a countless millions of years._

 _She saw a universe filled with hearts of light and darkness perish. She saw a trio of near omnipotent beings take upon the roles of judging the multiverse. And eventually, she even reached the point where a certain Overlord of the Elements took up his mantle for the first time..._

 _Yet through her ceaseless wandering, the woman felt a vague hint of nostalgia towards one world in particular. It was an old world, filled to the brim with gods vying for power. A shrine maiden, cloaked in red and white, was the last line of defense between the humans and the gods and monsters that roamed the lands._

 _There was this sense of familiarity this woman had with the shrine maiden. Perhaps it was her brown hair? Or perhaps it was headstrong nature mixed with a caring heart? The allure of the maiden's personality drew the woman to rest in this world for quite some time, and try to make friends with the maiden._

 _But the maiden saw her as a queer sort of creature. The things she said were so bizarre and foreign that plenty of times the maiden would simply reject the woman's presence. Not that it stopped the woman from persisting anyways, and begrudgingly the two became friends._

 _Though alas, this was a friendship built upon a terrible ruse. The maiden crafted a weapon in secret to deal with the woman for good, using the friendship as a means to keep her under a watchful eye. Though tragically, not only would the maiden perish before the weapon could be used, but the woman would know nothing of its existence until a couple millenia later when it was wielded against her..._

 _The woman kept a watchful eye over the maiden's descendants as the lands they protected flourished. But the way they were flourishing reminded the woman of some faint dreams she had very long ago. It was no mere coincidence. The world she saw and dreamt of were one in the same._

 _It had always been real, not a dream. But for some reason, it had been sealed off from everyone's sight._

 _And the reason for that, she'd find out shortly._

 _The world was slowly devolving into a war-torn land between gods and Youkai, with humans caught dead in the middle. The woman was torn on what side to choose. She was once human, but could no longer relate to them. Her unknown existence was more akin to a Youkai than a Gods, but joining them would mean turning against her human nature...Potentially forever._

 _But she rationalized that whatever humanity she had left meant little to her now, and chose to side with the Youkai. This swiftly made her an enemy of the shrine maidens, who saw her as just another creature to be exterminated._

 _But the woman stuck to her guns, and sought to use her position over the Youkai to teach both them AND the gods a lesson about the mortality they share with the humans. Her plan was to invade the moon, the land of the purest gods, and with hopefully little blood shed the Youkai and Gods would have this lesson ingrained in their minds forever._

 _Yet she had underestimated the power of the Youkai. There rampaged in far greater numbers towards the Lunar Capital, and could possibly overrun the place if left unchecked. Luckily for her, had a certain Overlord not intervened, then her plan would've failed._

 _But more blood had to be shed than she required in order to accomplish these goals. And upon reflection of her failure, the woman chose not to take as direct of an approach towards the progress of the world from thereafter._

 _All the knowledge in the universe meant nothing if she knew not how to apply it._

 _So she secluded herself in a realm of her own design, using the boundaries of fantasy and reality to accomplish this meager task. Here she would keep a distant watch on the progress of this world, intervening only through the shadows._

 _The shrine maidens would soon forget about her, but that was ok...It was wrong of her to replace that girl's blurry face in her memories._

 _Many years later, the Youkai started stirring trouble again, this time out of desperation. Humanity was growing at a rapid rate, but so too were their technology. With the benefits of technology at their disposal, there was little reason to fear Youkai or require assistance from the gods._

 _Thus the woman intervened directly for the first time in a while, and with the help of other similarly minded Sages erected a barrier to seal off the Youkai and gods from the rest of the world. Many humans were brought to this realm too, and given their own village in exchange for providing the Youkai and Gods with fear and faith to sustain them._

 _This land would be come to known as Gensokyo._

 _The woman was able to keep Gensokyo safe for a long, long time. She rekindled her friendship with the shrine maidens via the newest generation, and had even gained her own shikigami subordinate. There were many pleasant experiences to be found in this new and familiar land, so much so that her former life felt like a dream that she had finally woken up from._

 _But every dream...shall always be accompanied by a nightmare._

 _One day, the world of Gensokyo was set ablaze. Fires consumed the land in all directions, centered around an effigy of a raging phoenix. The people and Youkai stood little chance at surviving, and it only took minutes for Gensokyo to become lifeless._

 _The woman gazed upon the effigy for a prolonged period, recognizing a power eerily similar to the Elemental Overlord's. But before she could do anything about the apocalypse, her body swiftly began to decay, torn apart from the inside by the darkness she had assumed was under her control._

…

…

 _The darkness reentered the girl's body, carrying with it memories of a woman's life that was both in the future and the past. The girl spent the rest of the time in the universe thinking about these memories and trying to understand the truth behind them._

 _The Big Bang occurred again, unspectacularly this time. Yet there was something different to be found. Amongst the infinite light that heralded the dawn of life was a speck. One could say it was "God" standing in awe of his work._

 _She kept that image in her head as the universe continued on, flipping through the pages of history so blindingly fast. This time the woman paid very,_ _ **very**_ _close attention to the Elemental Overlord after the failed moon invasion. She found out that he was going to have a successor, a verdict forced upon him by the 'higher-ups' he worked for after a failure to handle the war with his counterpart, the Dark King, in a satisfactory and timely manner._

 _Linking the destruction of Gensokyo with this successor, the woman tried to assassinate the Elemental Overlord before the events could play out. The 'higher-ups' stopped her, and chided her for leaving her world so casually to cause trouble._

 _She saw a chance to plead to the 'higher-ups' that the Elemental Overlord would be a threat in the future, but they didn't believe her. They called her insane. So they simply let her go, warning her not to interfere with the Overlord again._

 _So she waited for the apocalypse again. Waiting seemed so easy now, it was almost sickening. This time, she'd try and connect a face to the demise of the world she cherished. She saw a human face amongst the flames. A human...barely past being a child, had ruined her paradise. But why? Why did this human do this? Was it out of spite? Hatred? Or was nothing more than a force of nature, a force of destruction, given a deceptively mortal guise._

 _As she was burned away to nothing once more, she reflected upon his purpose, so the question would remain thought of even in her next iteration. Yet as she "died", the woman was greeted by a roar. A roar...from the universe itself._

 _The next iteration, she kept to herself and tried to pick up more information. She edged closer to "God", hoping to see who he was underneath that strangely placed cloak._

 _Around the third iteration the woman discovered that she wasn't just retaining knowledge of one timeline. There were multiple timelines, each with their own copy of her, that was delivering knowledge to her past self._

 _But even still it took a while for even one version of her to see the face of "God"...and when she did, it was an exact same as the one who burned Gensokyo to ash._

 _So she asked herself again, "Why?"_

 _Why would "God" have her world be burned? What purpose could there be in seeking annihilation of an innocent world?_

 _She hated "God". She_ _ **loathed**_ _"God". That smug face, hidden behind a cloak of self-importance and grandeur, wielded many hands that chronicled the events of the universe...Or so he lied._

 _The woman vowed to do everything in her power to punish "God" and his little puppet, and save her precious world from annihilation..._

So at long last, I can gently remove my hands from the puppet's eyes, and let him see the world through his own once again. He is greeted by an endless sea of stars and nebulas, each one painted a different color from the rest. He freezes in place and looks around. I let him bask in a rather mild confusion, for soon the feeling shall be amplified tenfold.

When I feel he is ready, I call to him with a playful little giggle, and he turns his head around. His brows immediately slant with scathing hatred. I feel his muscles tense up, sending a chill through my bones. I must admit, he has certainly earned the right to scowl at me with teeth so bitten together that it was a wonder they didn't break apart.

He stamped his feet on the ground with every degree he slowly turned around. His body burst into flames I've felt the sting of thousands of times over, but never so as directly as I did now. He would liken his flames to wield the intense heat of a supernova, but to me they tickled like a warm campfire.

I sit up upon one of my loyal gaps, covering my body in the shade of my lovely white parasol while wearing the dainty dark purple dress the darkness had gifted me so long ago. With my mob cap, the last reminder of my past life, centered atop my head of lucious golden locks I stared back down at him with a smile only two inches wide.

...Oh I'm sorry. All of you out there must really be confused by this sudden shift in tone. Forgive me for being rude, this is honestly my first time having to address the situation in such a personal manner.

Not that? No no no, you're wondering why you're being spoken to in "Is" and "mys", aren't you?

I suppose before we continue, there **is** something I must say.

Ahem...!

It has been a long two years and three months on the dot since I have begun narrating this tale to you, viewers beyond the static veil. Through thick and thin I hope you have enjoyed the experience I have presented to you all this time. I hadn't written this much since I was a young, naive little girl...

But now we approach the climax. As I stand here, face-to-face with the Phoenix of Destruction, I shall formerly introduce myself to you, the audience waiting with baited breath. I am...

 **Yukari Yakumo ~ The Boundary Who Seized Control of the Narrative**

 **Chapter 29: First Occultism ~ A Violet's Eternal Recursion**

 _Next Time: ...Well, you'll just have to wait and see_

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

There's going to be a slight break now before the next chapter. Don't worry, I'm doing fine, but the next chapter's going to be a doozy and I need to make sure its all presented perfectly to you, the audience.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Who Done It? ~ Unraveled Mystery of God**

Now where was I? Ah yes! I was greeting our young little Phoenix of Destruction.

"This has been a long time coming, Alex Whiter," I say with the playful smile of a child across my face, all while wiggling a single finger around, "But I suppose we can skip the introductions, yes?"

He continued to glare at me with such ferocity that it might've scared a dragon. Hmmm, perhaps not a fully grown one, but a youngling? Certainly, it was possible.

I can tell his mind is hard at work, boiling down every last moment that brought him to this place in time, a place that exists beyond the sublime. His bones cracked with such a brittle sound that it was like his body was filled with autumn leaves, while his face was as plum red as them as well.

All this effort mustered just to nastily grind his teeth together and mutter a single word poignantly, "Why?"

'Why', he says. Such a lonesome sounding word when you get down to it. Its not a cry for answers, but a whimper of freedom from the excrutiating pain of confusion...I suppose I can relate to that pain.

I could tell from the way his body trembled violently that he was fighting the urge to kill me on the spot. The tiniest embers flickered in and out of existence between his fingers, which were coiled into a fist like an anaconda suffocating a poor rat.

So I shall bequeeth his request. Its not as though I had planned otherwise. For longer than I can recall, this moment had been my goal all along.

I stare at the dumbstruck boy straight in the eyes while laying stomach first inside my gap. Then I give him a show of respect for making it this far by gazing into those inferno eyes of his, and speaking with a dulcet tone, "Weren't you paying attention to that story I showed you?"

Hmm, might that have been a little condescending? Judging from the sudden slant of his brows, that's how he chose to interpret it anyways...Oh well!

"None of that made any goddamn sense!" He screamed, so fervent in his denial that he failed to notice how his lips quivered with hestiation. No one in their right mind would see all that they saw and claim it was a fabrication with a straight face. Though...I suppose he's not one with a right mind to begin with.

I gently close my eyes and continue to smile as I speak, "That was more for the viewer's benefit to begin with. But that's quite alright."

From that understandably puzzling quibble of mine Alex tilted his head and shook it, almost out of pity, "You're a goddamn lunatic, you know that?"

That stung. Just a bit mind you, but it was a sting nonetheless. In response I peer at him with a partially open gaze and giggle, pretending not to have felt a thing while turning his insult back in his face like I was performing a spike in volleyball, "Says the Phoenix of Destruction, destined to burn Gensokyo to ashes..."

He thrust a pointer finger tightly towards my face and yelled, "To hell with you! If I was destined to destroy Gensokyo, I would've already! But oh wait, what's that?"

He slammed his hands against the sides of his face and pretended to let out a gasp, performing a monkey-like display of mockery as he continued babbling like a baboon, "Gensokyo's still around? It couldn't possibly be because..."

"I have no goddamn reason to kill anyone besides the Lunarians AND you!" He punctuated by swinging his fists down and covering himself with a brief blaze.

But that's nothing to fear. Its the equivalent of a tantrum. Once he's settled down I look back towards him and remark, "But the vision I showed you proves otherwise. In many timelines, you destroy Gensokyo without rhyme or reason."

I watched as he immediately settled down and let out a tiring sigh. He shook his head, flummoxed to the point of not wanting to put effort into speaking. Yet he did so anyways, with great, **great** reluctance, "Fine...I'll humor you. Lets say your 'visions' were true, and you HAVE experienced this event countless times. Why not just kill me?"

"Tee-hee!" My innocuous giggle grates at his eardrums. But I can't help myself. I saw that question coming a thousand light years away. It does make for a good starting point in this discussion though, so I shall let his predictability slide _just_ this once.

After wagging my finger loftily in the air for a bit I give him my best mischievous gaze and tell him, "To answer that, we'd need to start with our similar methodologies, Alex Whiter."

"We. Are NOTHING alike!" He growled at me with a scathingly bitter scowl.

I rest my head upon my tired, silky smooth hands and breech his angered facade with a simple inquiry, "Have you not tried to kill villains on other worlds before they've committed any crimes, only to run into failure on numerous accounts?"

"And who's to blame _for_ _ **that**_?" He volleyed back to me with an intense glare. Honestly, I wish he'd stop trying to be this way all the time. There's only so many ways I can describe something as dull and pointless as rage.

"You killed the Sorceress and the Evil Twins yourself, tried to destroy Justice, hunted Terumi down like a rabid dog, and nearly devoured Sigma. What I did had no effect on your behavior in those instances, nor was I responsible for any failures. It was simply not meant to be."

He went dead silent, but I could almost hear him cursing my name in his head. I'd repeat it, but I'm not a fan of such vulgar language.

"And my attempts on your life in the past ran afoot of similar issues. I'd say it was a matter of destiny dictating it as such, but lets not kid ourselves..." I pause to smile as wide as possible, "Its because of your...'benefactor' that my efforts were always thwarted."

"Benefactor?" His face twisted up as the cogs in his mind started to turn, "You mean...the original Overlord?"

...Of course that'd be the first thing he'd think. How could an encounter so fleeting in time that I doubt even you, the captive audience, would recall it ever have crossed his mind?

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt though, and presume a gentle prod of the mind will be enough to remind him, "You met someone before. I believe he introduced himself as 'The Chronicler'?"

His eyes sparked with life and he immediately responded, albeit with a glazed over gaze of confusion, "Yeah? What about him?"

"Did you feel anything...familiar?"

He sighed, feeling he was being dragged through the mud for some trivial nonsense...But he still humored me with a response as he scratched the side of his head, "I guess? It was like I had met him before then...It must've been because he was acting as a 'spiritual reflection' or some other metaphorical garbage like that."

I gently lay my hands against the sides of my face and kicked my feet back to get comfortable, then closed my eyes partway shut and looked towards him with a smile devoid of malice. There is no shame in knowing what I'm about to admit, Alex Whiter. You never had a chance of having any other life but this to begin with...

"The Chronicler...How trite a name. He has actually gone by many names, some I'd even feel a little guilty divulging publicly to our viewers...But if there's one name he cherishes above all others, its one you'd probably be quite familiar with..."

"God."

I let that single word be absorbed into his brain like a sponge. He's not deaf to its meaning. I refer not to a singular entity who just so happens to be stronger than everyone in his world. I do not refer to a deity worshipped and thriving off their miracles alone. No, I am invoking the name of the one above all, the pinnacle of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. THAT God.

And while the silence spread throughout the sparkling skies like a stiff breeze, I took it upon myself to break it by uttering a single sentence to the boy, "And not only is he God, he is also your true 'father', Phoenix of Destruction."

He snapped at me right away, lashing out as quick as a fire rising from a dry, barren land, "Shut up! Shut the hell up! You won't trick me with your deceit!"

He swung his arm out then snapped it back to the front of his chest, clenched in a fisted knot as he squeezed his teeth together and pained himself to say, "I had a father! His name was Abraham Whiter! No one else!"

Unaffected by his blistering fury, I pressed on without a dash of concern for my well-being, "Abraham and Lumina Whiter are your parents, that cannot be denied. But you were born not of flesh, growing fresh in the womb. Rather...You were implanted there, completely under their noses."

"Bullshit!" Alex grabbed the side of his head and fought back with a flustered denial, "They would've noticed a fucking child suddenly popping up!"

"Haaaaa, I see this won't be easy..." Starting soft, I then struck him with a glancing blow as rough as the grains of a sandstorm, "Why don't you be quiet for a bit, and you'll understand what I mean?"

Beyond even my wildest expectations, he shut up. Not out of any respect for what I had to say, mind you. A part of him might have been curious to know what bewildering nonsense I'd spew out of that "swamp of a mouth" I had. But I knew the truth. After all that he's suffered, hearing me bring up such insane ideas fueled his "justified" decision in wanting to kill me.

Its only with my utmost "pity" that I say he is wasting his efforts. I do **not** lie.

I sit up upon my gap and rest my parasol atop my left shoulder. With my silky, slender legs crossed and a docile smile, I take up the disposition of storyteller on a less metaphysical level, and churn a tale only I of such vastly deepened lungs could speak without pause.

"From our perspective, our universe is real as real can get. But...did you know there's another universe out there? One that watches us from behind a monitor of glass and static? That universe considers itself real, and us to be 'fictional'."

"Works of 'fiction' are documented in movies, novels, video games, etc., and are all based on events that have or will transpire in this universe. Its a strange occurrence to be certain, but not one devoid of explanation. The truth is that the two universes were born closest to each other, bonded almost like siamese twins. Because of that, information from the 'fiction' universe has a tendency to spill into the minds of the inhabitants of the 'real' universe...But not vice versa."

"While the universes exist on similar wavelengths, the 'real' universe has a stronger pull. I cannot explain why this is. It is simply something meant to be beyond our understanding. Regardless, this flow of information can be abused."

"It can happen by accident. Or perhaps out of intrigue. Even malice isn't out of the question. The people who abuse this flow of information have a name. In their terms, they'd be called 'Authors', but to us they'd be referred to as 'God'."

"Think of our universe as a sort of computer. Like any computer, its code can be rearranged to suit the user's needs. Though for an 'Author', its as easy as typing in a few quaint words on a keyboard."

"But for the more major changes? That requires something a little more...immersive. An 'Avatar' so to speak. These 'Avatars' can go by different names. 'Self-Inserts', 'Mary Sues' or even 'Blanks'. It all depends on what purpose they're hoping to achieve with them."

"Many an 'Author' seeks to 'fix' and 'adjust' a 'fictional' world to suit their desires. Sure, they might start out with innocent enough intentions. Perhaps they just want to play make-believe with their favorite characters, or pretend they're helping them out on an adventure. They could be innocently seeking love, or want to avert a bittersweet climax."

"But some delve too deep into their role as an 'Author', and learn how easily it is to abuse such power. Without restraint to hold them at bay, they rewrite characters' personalities wholesale, kill people they hold the most irrational of hatred towards, or create a love that's unnatural as can be."

"The 'Blanks' of these kinds of 'Authors' are hoisted up as the be all end all for the worlds they're born unto. They're blessed with incredible powers devoid of flaw. They are loved by all, hated only by those whom the 'Author' themselves hate...Have you ever heard the tale of Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way? She is but one example of these tumors that have been a blight on our universe over the eons."

"By nature, the universe does not have a linear flow of time. It branches out in multiple directions, each one behaving as its own white blood cell to contain the corruptive influence of the 'Authors'. Yet there are times when the influence becomes too much for these timelines to contain, and the black, wretched venom spews out and roots itself in other timelines."

"Get to the fucking point already!" Alex yelled, having drawn out his patience for quite long enough. Though I suppose he may also be echoing the opinions of you viewers. That, I am uncertain of.

So with a floaty lean forward I smile his way and restrain a snicker of amusement whilst I ask him, "I believe my point's been made clear enough thus far. Don't you get it?"

He closed his eyes partway and dully bit back, "If the point's to make me so bored that I lose the will to kill you, then you're failing spectacularly."

...Fine then, so much for being gentle.

"You're a 'Blank' created by 'God', whom you refer to as 'The Chronicler'."

His face and eyes immediately turn as pale as snow, and the first droplet of sweat forms on his forehead a second later. He bit his lips together and swallowed, fighting a terrible urge to yell and claim that, once again, I was lying through my teeth.

But while he's busy suffering through the horrors of the truth, I shall continue unimpeded through my story.

"There was an 'Author' who was more ambitious than the rest. He wasn't content with just influencing one world. Nay, he wanted to make ALL 'fictional' worlds his playground."

"It would be easiest, in his mind anyways, to start with a world that was already composited of many other worlds. I believe in their universe, they refer to such a place as the land of Kingdom Hearts."

"But this 'Author' was reckless, and inexperienced. He chose not to influence the world through his own 'Blank', but through the hero of that world. With that hero's help, the 'Author' would traverse the universe and explore other worlds as though he was that hero."

"His actions in this instance had dire, dire consequences. The hero of that world was killed in an event he should've otherwise survived, and through a chain of events thereafter the Realm of Darkness breeched the universe and swallowed countless worlds whole."

"The world of Kingdom Hearts existed close to the very center of the universe, and thus had the closest connection to the 'real' universe. Thus when the Realm of Darkness breeched the 'fictional' universe, it created a spatial rift in the 'real' universe so powerful that it dragged the 'Author' into our 'fictional' universe."

"He still retained the power of an 'Author', having basically fused with the computer of which he had operated from. But the Realm of Darkness was too powerful for him to handle without the power of a 'Blank' acting as his link. He should have watched as the universe was plunged into darkness, taking him along with it..."

"Tragically, luck was on **his** side thereafter. At the exact moment he had entered our universe, the 'Author' encountered the most powerful being in our entire multiverse. A single dragon, whose body could stretch out across entire galaxies, and was born from the dawning of the universe. Shedding just a single scale, he could create an entire functioning world. With just a humble breath, he could birth the stars. His name, Futanji Shinryu, is known only by a few."

"He is a god above gods, a being who can't even perceive humans as specks of dust...Yet the 'Author's' sublime presence intrigued him, a fact that the 'Author' could take full advantage of with ease. The 'Author' called himself 'God', Futanji's creator. Through no evidence whatsoever beyond this person's mystifying presence, the mighty dragon believed fully his claim of godhood."

"And thus the 'Author' easily convinced the dragon that the damage to the Kingdom Hearts world was caused by an 'Author', someone other than him. He had no idea of what an 'Author' could truly do at the time, but with his knowledge now he could look back at his claim of them being 'interdimensional invaders' and laugh heartily."

"With the 'Authors' help, the dragon came up with an idea to help contain the corruptive influence of the 'Authors'. They would form a group of three to overlook the multiverse, himself included, and upon detecting any signs of corruption they would delete that timeline entirely to prevent its spread so nothing like this could ever happen again."

"Thus the 'higher-ups' were born. And by abusing his position as 'God' the 'Author' used their powers to eliminate any other 'Authors' that may have one day usurped him of his role."

"But while it was empowering to command such omnipotent beings like they were toys, the 'Author' still longed for the pleasure of handling the universe in a more... _direct_ manner. He needed a 'Blank', but who or what kind of person would they be?"

"Time became trivial for him in this state of existence. Because he'd become detached from the 'real' universe, he'd no longer age, grow hungry, or require sleep. And with just a blink of the eye, he could skip around through time as his leisure."

"Eventually he happened upon the birthlands of the Elemental Overlord, becoming instantly awe-struck by his powers. It was decided that a 'Blank' would be based off of him, but there was only one problem..."

"His greatest allies were also his greatest enemies. Were he to just craft a 'Blank' out of nothing right then and there, the 'higher-ups' would turn on him. They were already starting to grow far beyond his control as is, wiping out timelines and 'Authors' by the dozens out of a paranoia born from persisting in this role for so long. And the 'Author' couldn't permit being wiped from existence, for he was actually a real person."

"What a twisted view of the world. He's interacted and spoke to the inhabitants of this world, yet we're but a dream to him? That's what justifies his actions? Sickening, absolutely sickening..."

"So like the bug he is, he crept and crawled in the shadows, observing the Elemental Overlord's life until he could see an opportunity to strike and create the perfect 'Blank'. He thought perhaps the Overlord would have a child of his own, but his wife's particular circumstances prevented that."

"But there was another possibility to exploit. The Overlord's actions made it necessary to create a successor far, far into the future. The 'Author' sought to intercept this role for his 'Blank' by any ways necessary, and do so he did. He eyed the parents of the prophecized successor, and created his 'Blank' inside of the mother as little more than a fetus in the womb."

"S-Shut up already!" Alex chimed in as rough and roguish as usual. His eyes, so full of rage, were starting to tremble with fear as well. And it was upon this shaky foundation that he argued viciously against my truth, "Authors? Blanks? You don't have proof of any of this!"

He planted a hand firmly upon his chest and screamed his heart dry until his throat was hoarse, "And I'm one of these so-called 'Blanks'?! Where's your evidence?! Everything you're saying is baseless conjecture! A tale woven by a lunatic!"

So I rest flat on my stomach once more and bridged my fingers under my chin, smiling daintily as I tell him exactly what he does and does not want to hear, "What was the Elemental Overlord's prophecy again? That a certain boy would be discovered at these very, very exact coordinates, and take upon the Overlord's mantle?"

Then with a delightfully devilish grin I prod him further along the path I want him to go, "I'm sure you'd love to correct me if I'm wrong, but...were you actually the only boy lingering around your house at the time?"

He grit his teeth before me, sealing off the truth behind a firm wall of calcium and plaque. His lips squirmed to and fro, until finally giving way to a single name said with the utmost hatred, "Joe Dark...Joe Dark was there."

He closed his eyes and growled thereafter, "You...You can't seriously be suggesting that that son of a bitch...!"

"I am not only suggesting, I am outright saying it," I may have held the boy in ill-regard for reasons that weren't his fault, but even I will have to admit...That what I was about to say was too cruel to describe, "Joe Dark was the one prophecized to become the Elemental Overlord. Not you."

He began to cling unto the side of his head, and dug his fingertips in deep. Reality was catching up with him, slowly breaking through all the defenses set up to protect him. Now was the time to continue...

"Your 'birth' led Joe Dark to a life of suffering and loss. With a second child under their belt, Abraham and Lumina had no choice but to leave one behind for their own safety while keeping the other to fulfill their destiny as the Elemental Overlord. But they were on the run from Prometheus the whole time, weren't they? So because of that detour, they lost their advantage and were cornered, forcing them into a situation where they had to die. And because of that, you were taken in and experimented on by Prometheus. And even with you being on the other side of the continent, you continued to ruin Joe Dark's life."

"You were used as Prometheus' toy to silence the Dark family's attempts to uncover Prometheus' plan, and with Joe Dark as the lone survivor he swore vengeance against you...If he had even the littlest understanding of how much his vengeance was justified, would he really have had any right to be called the villain of your tale? No, because **you** are the villain, Alex Whiter. Through the simple act of existing you snatched away what was rightfully his. He could've gotten to know his real parents. He could have become a true hero. But instead he lost all that to a parasitic puppet."

"Joe Dark...w-was the prophecized child...He...he was...my brother too? No...no this...this can't be true." Alex was reacting about as well as he could have been expected to. He spoke coherently, clinging on to a fabrication of sanity with all the strength he could muster. He shook his head on occasion, and his skin was flushed of color. But I knew that he could still fight back. Though his determination was not his own, it was a powerful one nonetheless.

"No, that's wrong!" He yelled at me with a frightened look in his eyes, "Then his name would've been mentioned on the tablet! E-Everything else was so damn specific!"

"Specific as much as was necessary. The tablet wasn't created by the Elemental Overlord or the 'higher-ups', it was created by Auris Aurora," I glanced his way with a smile, "I'm sure you two have had the pleasure of meeting already. Twice, in fact!"

"...Her power of clairvoyancy."

Huh, how about that? Even with his mind beginning to fracture, he still pieced that much together. I'd be proud, if I was actually a charity for mercy.

"Exactly. See, that is one major benefit to creating a 'Blank'. As they are created by someone from outside our 'universe', they have no impact on the timeline until after they are born. Thus by the time Auris' visions of the future had changed, it was already far, far too late to slip away to the Mushroom Kingdom and rewrite the tablet."

"Ironically, for all the power the 'higher-ups' boast, they do not possess their own clairvoyancy. Had they done so, the 'Author's' entire plan would have been foiled before it began."

"The pieces were all in place. The stars had perfectly aligned. Now that the 'Author' had his perfect 'Blank', it was a simple matter of getting him to the Elemental Overlord's power and creating the perfect puppet to mess around with the universe as he wished."

"But why stop at one 'Blank'? Through this 'Blank' he could create others and not have anyone bat an eye, since there is a similar technique amongst the Aurians that allows them to create perfect clones."

"He used you to create the one you call 'Mew', giving him that name as a partial adoption of his own pen name, while also giving him an appearance similar to the hero of that world devoured by darkness. Then through 'Mew' he later created 'Riku', giving him that name for similar reasons to why 'Mew' had his appearance."

"And thus he had three perfectly functional 'Blanks' to spread his influence across the universe, but at a grave cost. His influence waned thin amongst the three. 'Authors' rarely extend their reach beyond one because it becomes more difficult to keep them under their control. And if separated from an 'Author' for too long, a 'Blank' becomes their own person."

"Avarice and pride was to be the 'Authors' undoing. His first attempt to balance all three ended in failure. Either he'd lose control of Mew, the Phoenix of Rebirth, or Riku, the Phoenix of Balance. This left the third, Alex Whiter, the Phoenix of Destruction, as the only one he could feasibly rely upon."

"But one was not enough for him. If he could not have control over all three of his creations, then he'd just simply wipe the slate clean and start over. He still saw the universe he was in as little more than a dream to play around in. There was no care in those maddened eyes of his. He was a hollow husk of a man, a soul with its skin shed. And our universe would soon pay the price for his sleighted ego."

"Under his command, the Phoenix of Destruction instigated universal genocide, attacking so swift and suddenly that no world had time to save themselves. Even the strongest of warriors became as brittle as ashes and floated daftly into space. The 'Blank's' sense of self was erased, his body burning bright through the night skies as an effigy of terror that wiped all creation from the universe without pause. And his first target, was Gensokyo..."

I closed my eyes and trembled at the memory of seeing my world burst into flames from but a single touch. Millions, billions, perhaps trillions of times I've bore witness to that event...And still I want to cry. But not even the singlest droplet of liquid could form from a desert. A curse, but perhaps a blessing too.

"Of course, most of what I say regarding the Phoenix of Destruction's rampage beyond Gensokyo IS the only true conjecture from my tale. All I know for certain is that at a point, everything was gone, and the universe had to reset. But perhaps that was the natural end of everything? Entropy is not exactly something that can be stopped..."

"It is truly bewildering why my world is always the first one chosen though. I have never been able to deduce why through all my observations of the 'Author'."

"But what I did watch was the desperate struggle of a megalomaniac as he tried so hard to maintain the power he so desperately craved, even as billions died from his actions. He's welcome to call himself 'God' all he wants...but no one should ever bow their head in reverence of him."

I have been alive so long, but this is by far the longest I've ever gone talking without stopping. This kind of body doesn't necessitate breathing, I suppose. But I am almost done. There is just one last thing to say. The metaphorical 'icing on the cake'.

I gently close my eyes and murmur in a dulcet tone, "And I have been fighting a battle against 'God' through six iterations of the universe, where I have finally determined the secret to defeating him once and for all. The circumstances behind the Phoenix of Destruction's personality cannot be repeated through the other two 'Blanks' at this point in time. So if you are stopped, Alex Whiter, then the 'Author' will lose his ability to interject in the universe's affairs as much as he'd wish. The cycle of destruction will die, and Gensokyo will be saved."

"It has not been an easy process though. Using my Border of Fiction and Reality, I have been able to briefly override the 'Author' over the last two years and three months, using that position to slowly separate you from the 'Author's' control. But I have also had to maintain a perfect sense of continuity regarding the 'Author's' recollection of events. Even the slightest major deviation would make it impossible for me to attempt this trick again."

"To help in this matter, I had purposefully stalled for time on other worlds you visited by using the artifact pieces in conjunction with the villains so it'd take you just long enough to get them. This was for the sole purpose of ensuring that your journey would be in perfect sync with Riku's, whom the 'Author' would be focusing on at the time."

"The 'Author' was so self-assured that you'd go through the necessary steps to become the Phoenix of Destruction that he saw no reason to intervene as much except to re-establish his control. But because my presence doesn't linger in your mind, he's failed to recognize that his control of you is slipping away. And once that is accomplished, then he will have lost."

"...Let it be said that I bear no ill will towards you as a person, in spite of what I may have said in the past. But if Gensokyo is to survive, then you have to be dealt with, Alex Whiter."

"Heheh...hehehe!"

...Here we go. The breaking point.

"Hehehe! HAHAHAHAAHA!" The boy's head lurched back and he swung his arms out, his mouth spread wide open as the cries of a broken mind ruptured forth with a resounding echo of laughter.

I could really only sigh at this display of insanity. I am proud of myself for not lying even once, but this was never a problem that'd be resolved just by talking. Had it been that simple, I would have dissuaded the 'Author' himself from continuing this madness. But I suppose you can relate to the difficulty of such a task, eh, Minjo Master?

He lashed forth, hunched over like a hungry, snarling werewolf, and told me with a now brittle attempt at denial, "FUCK YOU! Everything you said is bullshit! I'm not a 'Blank'...! Or a 'Phoenix of Destruction'! My name...is Alex GODDAMN Whiter, the REAL son of Abraham and Lumina Whiter, and the TRUE successor to the Elemental Overlord's power!"

"I'm pretty envious..." I admit with some degree of pity as well, "If I could have such a staunch denial of reality like you, perhaps it would have eased my suffering for all this time. Alas, this might just be for the best that you only accept reality as you describe it until the moment you're gone."

"You're the one in denial!" He yelled at me, quite insultingly to be honest. I'm just trying to help, but he's intent on being this way to the very end.

"You've crawled so far up your own ass that you believe your own bullshit! Nothing, NOTHING you say is true no matter how hard you try and convince me otherwise!" His body went ablaze, a fire with little spark, if I'm being frank.

He then cracked his knuckles clenching them into fists and swung one up, his eyes so red with fury that they looked purely black. I suppose he takes after his father and brother in that regard...

"But you made on fatal, FATAL mistake you goddamn witch...You dragged Shina into this, and I'll NEVER forgive you for that!"

…

"Fufufu. How interesting. In other iterations of the universe you never loved that girl this much. Such love would never have been possible while you were a slave to the 'Author'."

"Shut. UP! Like you deserve ANY praise for what you've done! There was no reason Shina had to suffer because of me! So tell me why you did it! Tell me before I burn your tongue to ashes!"

…

"Fine," His rage cooled into a simmering, quiet fury as he tugged the bottom of his leathery glove and glared at me with empty eyes, "You'd only be digging yourself a deeper grave anyways. I don't want to hear another word out of your putrid, lying mouth Yukari Yakumo. I'll eliminate you from this world, down to the very last atom, so that not even your dust will be able to make Shina cry again!"

"She'll only be in danger as long as you're around. Do you not get that? The 'Author' only cares about his 'Blanks'. The people around them can just die if they aren't bolstering his precious, fragile ego."

"And so that makes you our savior? A savior doesn't ally themselves with the BAD GUYS and wreak havoc across other worlds!"

He had something of a point. I am not proud of the methods I had to use, but I did them with full confidence that everything would work out accordingly. I made these sacrifices, but that is only weight to be placed on _my_ shoulders. I wish the boy could understand that, for we are ultimately of similar minds...But a bridge with a rocky foundation is one that can never be crossed, unfortunately.

So I shall impart unto him one final truth, one that shall unravel everything he believes is real.

"The 'Author' is the greatest evil this universe of ours has ever faced. He not only torments its people, but writes these details down and transplants them as stories to be read in his universe. The name he chose, 'Clash of the Elements', holds a second, more sinister meaning. The abbreviated form, COTE, also stands for Computer Operated Terminal for Existence."

"I don't give a shit!" Alex drew his sword at me and I could tell exactly what he was thinking. He wouldn't be satisfied with just wiping me from existence. No, he wanted to see me completely humiliated as well. That's what his grizzly smile spoke to me.

"Before you die...I will beat you at the one thing you cherish most in this world."

"A Spell Card duel...?" I playfully respond, sitting upright atop my gap with a card already called to my limber hand.

"Heh. I've been looking forward to this for so long, you detestible witch," Alex gripped his sword tightly in both hands and roared, "You'll pay for EVERYTHING!"

"Kill me? You must be kidding me. There's no such 'God' who can, cause I have killed them all in the warped space," I quietly boast, but then gently close my eyes and let out a sigh, "But I'll believe you, so let's get started. It has been a long, long story...Our eternal, Endless Fantasy."

 _Next Time: Versus Me, Yukari Yakumo_


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: Night Falls ~ The Evening Star**

 _Meanwhile, back in the Netherworld_

The battle between Ran and Shina has shown no signs of ceasing. Both combatants have made the whole deathly realm their arena, and the scars of conflict litter the trees and ground. There were even a couple cherry blossoms trees cleaved straight down the middle in a single stroke, certainly proving to be Shina's work.

Shina's aura could passively defend her from Ran's claws, leaving little in the way of blood on her skin. But the kitsune's speed was not to be trifled with. She was one of the quickest Youkai in all of Gensokyo. Some would say she could match a tengu or the Scarlet sisters if motivated properly.

And her claws, capable of slicing through diamonds with the greatest of ease, complimented her speed to make for a truly deadly assassin. It was for the benefit of Gensokyo, and perhaps the world as a whole, that Ran be kept on such a tight leash.

Shina leapt to the front of the wilted Ayakashi and slanted her sword down in one hand, fending off a few of Ran's slashes. She dug the tip of her claws in deep, chipping the steel from the blade and leaving the dust embedded under her nails.

Shina pounded her free hand to the back of her sword and sent out a shockwave to repel Ran, who spun and landed gracefully upon her feet. She then waved her arms out and created several ghostly embers, all of whom sent dozens of bullets flying across the sky.

She flung them about in multiple directions, zigzagging their patterns for the purpose of confusing where they'd wind up. Shina forgoed waiting and charged straight forward, wrapped in a bubble of aura as she rammed Ran with the bottom of her sword's hilt. Then while rising to stand she cut the blade across the ground and swung it in a perfect arc, forcing the kitsune to retreat with her legs cobbling weakly from the winding strike to her gut.

The only thing that was wounded was her pride for letting a 'human' have the chance to touch her, a mistake she hadn't intended to repeat. Ran spun around, concealing most of her body in the velvety veil of her nine tails before lunging forth as though they were a bush she hid within.

She reached for Shina's neck with her right hand, only to meet defiance from her blade. But without losing her stride Ran twirled her body clockwise, using the edge of the blade to maintain balance, and from there used all nine of her tails to trip Shina up.

As Shina fell on her gut Ran leapt while continuing to twirl, positioning herself upside-down over Shina's back. She went for the plunge with both her claws, a decisive blow if there ever could be. But through no lack of effort on the kitsune's part, Shina refused to stay down for long and rolled right out of the way. Some bits of dirt flew into her eyes when Ran smashed the ground, but not enough to rob her of sight.

She got right back up and slashed forward once, twice, then three times in quick succession, assailing Ran with waves of aura. The kitsune leapt away atop the closest tree and crossed her arms within her sleeves, observing her opponent with a lowly sneer of arrogance.

"Why do you fight so desperately against your fate?" She inquired with a sincerity of interest.

Shina held her blade tight before her waist and carefully watched the kitsune as she yelled with all her spirit, "Cause what you're doing ain't right!"

"What's not _right_ , Aurian, is that 'thing's' entire existence."

"Alex isn't a thing! He's a person!"

"Will you still claim that when it is his blade that burrows into your heart? You could have been spared this fate had you not been so stubborn."

"How many times do I gotta say it? Alex ain't that kinda person!" Her passionate cries fell on deaf ears as Ran merely shook her head in a dismissive manner.

"You're a fool. He'll do what's in his nature, devoid of either choice or thought of his own."

"And I say he'll prove ya both wrong! Then who'll be the fool?!"

"The fool who responds by calling someone else a fool is the greatest fool of all," Ran raised her claws out and dialed back on her cruelty just a notch, "But as I have said, I shall save you the trouble of feeling the scorch of a broken heart...By breaking it myself!"

Ran charged back down at Shina, resuming a desperate battle without end.

...At least, that's how I imagine that is how the whole thing is unfolding. I'm too busy occupying the boy's time to even entertain the idea of seeing how Ran is faring. Not that I have faith that she'll be victorious. I maaaay have purposefully given her the impression that the girl would be easy to handle.

Not that there's anything wrong with a pet learning a little humility every now and then. At least there's no fear of her dying. I should have this matter wrapped up tidily before their little scuffle is through.

Now on the subject of humility, I already know the kind of Spell Cards I shall use in my duel with the boy. In contrast to everyone else he has faced, I shall be reusing some of my old cards instead of coming up with anything new.

Give him something familiar, build up that sense of confidence that he might be able to win...And then crush it all under foot with my latter cards. Perhaps it is a little silly to be revealing my methodology right away? Personally, I believe that it will leave you drooling with anticipation over just what kind of mischief I have up my dainty little sleeves.

"Grrr..."

Hmmm? Oh, sorry, it appears I'm dawdling. But I've waited nearly as long as the universe has been alive six times over. So really, what is a few more seconds of drawing things out?

I look down at the glowing card that's been levitating in a blank slate for the last minute, and close my eyes tight. The card's appearance covers up the pearly light in seconds, and upon whisking my hand back by the hip the card breaks and I say its name with enthusiasm.

"Barrier 'Boundary of Life and Death'!"

One of my personal favorites, if I am to be honest. Yuyuko was the inspiration for the name, if you couldn't tell. So how fitting that I start with this with the boy off the hoof of a battle with her...I promise I'll make things up to you later, Yuyuko. But this couldn't have been possible without your contribution, regardless of how minor you felt it may have been.

"KABOOM!"

...Of course, it doesn't even take a millisecond for an explosion of fire to find its way to my face. I really ought to rework the Spell Card system, cause I shouldn't be feeling even a beesting's worth of pain...Oh well! There'll be time for him to pay his dues for that later.

I start off with a simple bombardment of Danmaku. A pinwheel of crystal white, diamond shaped bullets blossoming clockwise around me, connecting roughly seven of them close together at the time. It takes a second for a full rotation, and then I simply send out some more.

Whether through an overhead perspective or in a three-dimensional environment, this attack could be avoided by a fly without a brain. But this is merely the first out of I believe...six variants of Danmaku I shall be utilizing? It has been quite some time since I had to use this one, so it must have slipped my mind. My apologies. Any discrepencies on my part is completely unwarranted.

Alex has stopped talking to me. Not that he was talkative to begin with, but I'd much rather he voiced his rage than hear a constant stream of 'Kabooms' and 'Krackows' from his fire and lightning. A rare glimpse past his attacks showed to me a scared child desperate to prove his identity.

His face was scrunched up, making his eyes difficult to see were it not for his irises burning red. His teeth were stuck in this permanent, gritty scowl. And his body was completely consumed with fire. A shiver went down my spine as I was reminded of that monster that took my world away in an instant.

But this was a rage that was all his own. A rage to dwarf the sun and stars in the night sky, and leave the world cold with darkness. I shall be the lone receptor of all this rage. I shall burn as many times as it takes so my world would be spared. He may call my devotion a farce, a facade to hide malicious intent towards all those around me...But if that was the case, then why would we even be here?

I'm rambling on too much. It has already been a few seconds, so time to add another wave of Danmaku to the mix. This time they shall be little violet orbs that come out counterclockwise, strung together in groups of three. They'll be more tightly packed than the diamonds, and cover a broader area.

Its become a little trickier to navigate my Danmaku, but it doesn't phase Alex much. He just sticks in place and lets it touch him, preferring offense to defense. Is it a matter of pride? Of course so. But he shall change his tune once the third Danmaku shows itself.

Returning to a clockwise pattern, I sent out large orbs with red insides and a pure white border. They started out in a somewhat zigzaggy formation before breaking off in pairs of two. Alex started moving the moment some of these bullets touched him, begrudgingly weaving around the bullets while throwing his strongest fireballs into my face.

His scowl tightened up on the left side, and I could hear a bear-like growl coming from behind it. At least he has the decency to differentiate the noises, even just a bit.

After a few more seconds I go for Danmaku number four. But what's this? This one shall also be going clockwise? How devious of me, wouldn't you agree? This wave consists of tiny dark blue orbs spraying out in a thickly condensed rain.

And then I immediately send out the fifth wave to throw my opponent for a loop! This time its a counterclockwise wave of thick yellow spheres, which curve outward as they spread apart. I could sense the irritation he's having trying to dodge all this, it riddles my arms with goosebumps.

Just because I'm playing around doesn't mean I'm taking it easy. You don't earn the title of Phantasm by having an easily exploited gap in your Danmaku directly in front of you, after all.

Yet he doesn't give up. Good on him. He should be proud of that much when he finally has to say goodbye to this world. His fire may burn with the intensity of the sun, but his passion and strength burned just as bright.

So now is the time for the final Danmaku to be added to this Spell Card. Its nothing spectacular. I'm simply using a mint-green version of the prior wave, but throwing it out clockwise. This has certainly become a smorgasbord of Danmaku, hasn't it? Were it not for his fire, the boy would be almost invisible to me.

But alas, having been pushed to this point in my Spell Card meant that my time with it is almost through. I'll take whatever licks I can get in and try a little harder with the next one.

As my Danmaku breaks apart, Alex restrained his rampant behavior just for a little while. His eyes were focused on me, burning deep into my soul...Well, if I still had one to burn at this point. I raised my hand up and twirled it around, revealing a second Spell Card above the palm.

Might as well give him a little praise while I'm at it, "Not a bad start, Phoenix of Destruction. Your time on this world has taught you well."

"Hmph, guess all those distractions were worth something..." He admitted with a low-pitched 'Hmph!' before squeezing his fist tightly before his face, "If I get to see you humiliated at the thing you're best at! Now activate your Last Word so I can end this!"

...Last Word? Oh me oh my, everyone's made him so complacent. One Spell Card and then a Last Word with nothing else in-between? It really makes me wonder how sincere any of them were about trying to stop him and the girl.

Me? I won't even _require_ a Last Word.

"Be patient little one," I taunt him with a honeyed giggle while the Spell Card manifests its true form, "The fun has only just begun."

"Evil Spirits 'Yukari Yakumo's Spiriting Away'!" I say with a decibel higher enthusiasm.

Now this one is a little trickier to explain than the last, but after handling what, thirty or so other Spell Cards? I think this one shall be a breeze in comparison. So I start out not by firing Danmaku, but by vanishing completely from sight. I'm not slipping into my gap, or making myself invisible. I'm disappearing from the mortal plain for a little bit...A 'spiriting away' if you would.

In my place is where the Danmaku comes in. There are four rings of violet tinted orbs that spread out in circles. Then there are three of those red orbs from before that fire off downward, northeast, and northwest of where I was. Each of those orbs drops a cache of bright lilac tinted orbs that head wherever they please.

Finally there are six thinly lasers that fire out in a symmetrical form from the exact center of where I was. Alex evades all these Danmaku. That's fine, the initial wave is always the easiest to deal with. But afterwards? That is when I can truly mess around with him.

Coming off the heels of my first wave, I slip through the sky undetected until I'm right behind him. The hairs on his neck prickle up on end, and the rest of his body quivers. But by the time he realizes I'm there, I have already emerged into view firing off a second wave of the very same Danmaku.

He's swept up by most of them and pushed back as he turns around, desperate to get one attack in. He succeeds in hitting me with a single fireball as I phase out of sight, ready to creep up behind him once again.

This card operates on a similar principle to Reimu's Fantasy Heaven. The key difference being that I **let** myself be open to attack on occasion, rather than remain out of reach the whole time. The look of surprise on a person's face isn't quite _nearly_ as enjoyable unless they are seeing a reflection of it in your eyes.

When I slip behind him this time, he turns right around to greet me with a point-blank fireball and the usual scowl. Disappointingly, I'll have to settle for firing my Danmaku and leaving him be for now. He flies away from my bullets and charges electricity in his hands. He'll be trying to perform a radial burst around his body this time, that much I'm positive of.

...Not a bad idea if I do say so myself. Removes the need of having to waste time turning around, while also hampering me with a multitude of lightning bolts. But nothing says I **have** to appear right where he is. That's just for the fun of the sport.

With his body brimming with goosebumps and eyes dashing around with paranoia, just the simple act of reappearing regardless of location would get him jumping. So I position myself ten feet in front of him, gently waving my parasol out to prod him with a paranormal chill prematurely.

He jolted in place, and the bolts _jolted_ out of him right as I reappeared to fire my Danmaku. I disappeared right before he could retaliate, leaving him with a face as red as a pickled beet.

I could replay these actions over and over for your perusal, but there's little point. You know how my Spell Card works, you understand how the boy feels at this point. So you're welcome to fill in the blanks, if that tickles your fancy. Me personally, I'm ready to skip along to the good part.

So after our little back and forth dance goes on for a minute, Alex manages to get in the few lucky hits he needs to defeat this Spell Card. It was never the sturdiest of cards to begin with, so I don't mind. The boy's ego has been sufficiently fed by now, so it has accomplished its meager task.

Now I position myself back where I started our little duel, knowing that to be true due to perfectly memorizing the position of the stars. The boy stares right at me once more, his face lit up with a smile while his eyes still burned with fire.

He scoffed, his voice as rough as a grain of sand, "I thought you would've been tougher than this, you damn witch."

All this time being silent and he couldn't come up with a better insult? I guess I put too much faith in him. Or perhaps...not enough? How ironic that the hardest thing an "Original Character" would have trouble with would be...being original.

"Fufufu..." I chuckle quietly to myself, smiling with the radiance of a young woman. He takes it the wrong way, as he does, and as I bridge my hands under my chin and lean forth he yells at me, "Why you acting so cocky?!"

"Why are you?" I grin slyly while brushing a pointer finger beside my face, "Need I remind you that I once used **eleven** Spell Cards to face Reimu, Marisa and Sakuya?"

His eyes bulged, their fright independent of the fury the rest of his body display. But that was not an honest attempt to strike fear into his heart.

"But for you...I will only need four in total." _This_ was, and it achieved the desired results almost instantaneously. His fists began trembling, and he attempted to call my bluff.

"Four cards? You're out of your mind. If you keep throwing out the same trash you have so far, then I'll easily crush them!"

Boasting is both his way of showing his pride and denying his fear. He couldn't separate his voice from his body no matter how hard he wanted to. Every scream, every laugh, every scoff...It was accompanied by a trembling frame, and his skin feeling as cold as sleet and snow.

He was fighting on the edge of sanity. If he dove a second longer into despair, there'd be no coming back. That's why he put on his strongest brave face. He didn't want to lose that last bit of himself to the darkness. Unfortunately for him, victory is only possible if I break him.

It is without malice that I raise my right hand to summon the third Spell Card, and stare and speak with a suitably ominous air surrounding me, "There's no chance of you 'crushing' this next card. I shall tell you now that it will be a Timed Card, but it shall be like nothing you've ever seen before."

"Border of Body and Soul." This name I speak delicately. It is also a new Spell Card, one that I can only perform against this particular foe. Why, you may ask? You'll find out in just a moment.

Alex raised his hands to try and attack me, but fails to even spark an ember. Then he notices that he no longer has any hands, nor arms nor legs or any kind of body at all. He's been dissolved of his physical shape and left as little more than a ghastly red wisp floating in place.

" _What...what's happened to me?!"_ He cries out, bellowing with a gurgly echo.

This isn't an illusion, or some mere parlor trick.

"I have shifted the Boundaries of Body and Soul, and have temporarily turned you into a soul. When the Spell Card has resolved, you shall be turned back to normal."

Its doubtful that he believes me, but he doesn't make demands for me to change him back either. Acceptance is an important step when facing denial, Phoenix of Destruction.

But my trickery doesn't end there. You may have recalled that there is something a little...different about Alex when compared to his fellow 'Blanks'. He's not harboring just _one_ soul inside of his body.

I close my eyes as seven figures descend around me in a circle, acting as the sentinels of my Spell Card. Alex's shock is easily imagined, even without a face to attribute it to. He was seeing people that had been dead inside of him for years, now brimming with newfound, if not temporary, life.

The were the Genesis Samurais, the seven proud warriors that served the Elemental Overlord when he was alive, and guarded his resting place when he had passed on. Often forgotten were their contributions to his mission of bringing peace to all the worlds, especially nowadays, but this is neither the time nor place to tell their tale.

They drew their unique weapons and pointed them straight towards Alex, filling him with an air of fright. I could sense his ethereal form staggering, as their weapons drawn were admonishing him for how poorly he had fared in his duty as the Elemental Overlord.

" _G-Guys? Don't you...recognize me?"_ He had reverted to a child as he begged for their acknowledgment. But they turned their heads away and felt nothing but scorn for him. I couldn't bear to open my eyes and see such cruelty for myself, even if I was responsible for it.

" _You did this...?! You bastard...YOU DID THIS TO THEM!"_ He yelled at me something that was only a partial truth.

"I only gave them their brief return to life. Their animosity towards you is something that bloomed all on its own." I explained as the seven warriors spread out with their weapons.

He went silent.

The Genesis Samurais looked to me and I gave them a nod in return. They spun around me in perfect sync, sending out their unique elements as Danmaku to swarm the battlefield.

Vines were strewn to and fro, blossoming with flowers that spew large clods of pollen to drift through the air. Water geysers gushed forward and then curved around back, splashing its hot raindrops against the boy's ethereal body. Gusts of wind cleaved the air and sent miniature crescents hurtling his way. Balls of electricity were sent from a sniper rifle, exploding into a web of high voltage as it neared the center of the other elements.

Large chunks of rock were torn up from nothingness, slamming together like a pair of giant, clapping hands to break them apart and send the smaller rocks flying towards him. Massive icicles were summoned above us and thrown down one at a time. Lastly there were the flames, which manifested as dark meteors that exploded upon contact with anything else.

Alex could still move, but the motivation to do so was fleeting. He's long since surpassed the vanguards of the Overlord's legacy, but their power was especially overwhelming now. He had briefly revered their strength, their determination, and their courage. Now he feared it, because it wasn't working for **his** benefit.

No, it was more than that. Even I would have to admit it. I didn't just see the world through the boy's eyes as I narrated his tale. I felt what he felt, all the anxities and doubts. He wanted to do right by the Overlord's name. He struggled desperately against his very nature to **be** a better person.

...But he never had a chance to begin with. Kind of like a certain girl who just wanted to spend the rest of her life with her best friend, having adventures in a land of dreams.

...But I cannot waver in my goals. Failure means not just the end of Gensokyo, it means repeating this awful, **awful** cycle again. So as the boy's soul cries in agony, I do not tremble. But I do not open my eyes either. The seven warriors attack with everything they've got, and he struggles to survive.

Then a light appears, a bright and terrible light that frightens even me.

"Oh? So even you have something to say? My my, you really are a troublesome child..."

I grace the warm presence with a smile as they hover in place above me. Unlike the other souls, this is one whose true form I cannot force to be whole. Even unconscious, pushed to rest by the 'higher-ups', his soul overflowed with power, forcing the other seven souls to yield. And then their physical bodies dissolve, with all eight of them returning to their proper place inside the boy's body, which returned to its original state without my approval.

I peer my eyes open slightly and sigh, "You'll still have faith in people like him until the very end, huh, Sarajin?"

Alex floated before me a broken shell of a man. He was gasping for air, staggering from the sudden shift between life and death. His body rattled like a set of keys. That rage in his eyes was cold, dead almost.

He hadn't lost yet though. The Overlord's timely intervention ensured his safety. Unfortunately...

"It is time for my last Spell Card." I raised my hand with eyes closed and half a smile creased across my face. The last Spell Card looked the same as the rest, but would prove to be the deadliest.

"Border of Fiction and Reality."

The same power that allowed me to start this game, shall be the one to finish it. As my Spell Card disappeared, the dimension I had created to serve as this battlefield turned blank as the pitch black depths of space. Cracks spread across like broken glass on a windshield, revealing the scattered remnants of visions of other worlds.

Not just worlds he had visited either. Hundreds of other worlds he knew of but never even dreamt were possible to visit were scattered amongst the sky. But slipping in between all of them were visions of a world where humans, animals and places looked 'real'. There was no bounciness to their movements, no exaggerations in their expressions. They walked and talked normally, much like those of you reading.

Each portrait of the worlds had their own Danmaku to bring to the table, but there was simply far, far too many to describe. Fill in the blanks with your imagination if you must, but your focus should really be on the Phoenix of Destruction.

He stood there and took every bullet head-on without fighting back. I wasn't making any particular effort to target him, that was simple how things unfolded. The painful show lasted but a mere few seconds, yet for him would scar for a lifetime. Now he knew what it was like to realize how insignificant his own world was compared to all the rest, and as the dimension returned to normal and he collapsed on his back in utter defeat I breathed a heavy sigh and put my parasol to rest.

I stepped off the gap and trodded the empty air a couple steps forward, pointing the tip of my parasol at the ground as I overlooked the boy's shaking body. I didn't feel pity, but rather shame. He could have been so much more, had he not been born with strings on his back.

But as I close my eyes I feel something inside of him stir. A fire, not unlike the spark of an inferno, rose from his heart. He dug his fingertips into the fabric of reality and pulled himself up with a scowl. His heart was violently pumping blood, and he looked set to burst. When he got to his feet he immediately drew his sword and attacked me, cutting through the cloth of my dress at the skirt as I leapt back.

The fire stormed around his body like a tornado, and he clenched his hands tightly around the handle of his sword. Hunched over, he faced me head-on and growled. I could sense his head was throbbing in pain. It was astonishing that he wasn't dead...Not that that has ever stopped him.

"I won't...stop..." He whispered daftly in my ears as I smiled.

He staggered, appearing ready to fall to his knees. He clung on to a thin strand and raised his head up high, his irises blood red and having a texture like amber. He quietly yelled at me, "I-I swear I'll kill you...And take the Cosmos Drive back to Shina!"

...Oh, dear.

I closed my eyes to the sight of his building rage and rest my hands atop my parasol, remarking with no trace of hesitation, "I do not have the Cosmos Drive."

"W-What...?" I could feel the hopelessness in his voice. A part of me hungered for it even.

"Remembered how I said I was stalling for time so your journey would match up with the Phoenix of Balance's? Well there was a second purpose to that. See, it is impossible for me to enter the place the Cosmos Drive _actually_ is," I take a brief pause to catch my breath, smiling a little at the brilliance of my plan, "So instead I made it so by the time you were on your way to it, this planet and thus Gensokyo would be right in the way of the artifact's trail. So you and the girl would be led to believe that you'd find the Cosmos Drive here."

"Gnnghh...! Grrrnnnghh...! NNNNRRRGHHH!" Alex squeezed his blade tight, the handle contorting slightly under the pressure. He snagged all seven triggers in the blink of an eye and tugged them so hard it was a wonder they weren't pulled out.

He swung his arms out, reared his head back, and screamed, leaving me temporarily deafened. The dimension showed signs of cracking, every one burning red with flames. His body was consumed with golden flames, and his Phoenix wings spread from the mold bright with fury.

The game was over.

He stared at me with his burning eyes and terrifying scowl and forced the flames to wash over me, making me break into a gentle sweat. I smiled at him and raised my parasol in one hand, summoning half a dozen gaps to my aid. This was how this battle would be settled. Not with banter, not with bullets, but with blood. But shall it be mine or his that is spilled? I am antsy to see the answer to that...

"Time to die...YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He roared, paving the road towards our truly final battle...

 _Next Time: Necrofantasia_


	32. Final Chapter

**Final Chapter: Necrofantasia ~ The Boundless Boundary**

...So it has finally come down to this. I have waited so, so very long for this day to arrive. Now its just me and the Phoenix of Destruction, locked together in a grueling duel to decide our fates. Will his ferocious denial of who he truly is triumph over my steadfast refusal to lose the one thing I cherish most?

Its a rare occasion for me to stretch my muscles like this. Usually my matters are settled with subtlety and a flexing of the mind. This garish kind of combat is...a little beneath me and yet? I feel my adrenaline pumping so viciously through my body that everything hollow is made to feel alive again.

All these times fighting to stop the Phoenix of Destruction and yet funnily enough, this is the first time I've actually _fought_ him directly. Though, pardon my use of cliches here...I can read him like an open book.

To make an example of that, I shall start by using six slightly widened gaps to pepper the boy head-on with lasers. The first of his Soul Shields, the green one to be precise, blocks all of my attacks with perfect deflection. The left of his lips begins to twitch, and with how tense his body has become even an act as paltry as that causes me to feel a jolt in my body.

I slide into a gap to my right the very instance he charges towards me. The flames he drags in his wake splashes me as I seal the way shut, and the tremors of his power frighten the very realm I stand in. I keep in hiding for a bit, poking the air before me with the tip of my parasol, and etching a glyph into place.

I wait roughly seven seconds, enough time for the first Soul Shield to burn itself dry, then use my glyph to launch streams of black lightning between dimensions. He turns to where I am and bashes the lightning away with a single swipe of his hand, sending out a wave of fire that crashes into the glyph's entry point and shatters open a pristine view of where I am.

In the midst of this tense battle playfully wink at him and press a pointer finger to my lips, which he responds to by brutefully coiling vines around my waist and hoisting me out. I keep my cool, even after his vicious tug separated me from my parasol, and reach left towards a gap no thinner than my fingernails.

He wrenches his left hand around my wrist as it slips into the gap, and burns his scowling face into my eyes' reflection as he brings down a seering hammer of magma and brimstone into my gut. The joints in my left arm crack to the breaking point before he lets go, and the impression of his knuckles is seared into my skin like a blister from touching a hot stove.

As my body plummets down this empty realm, he dives down at me at a screaming velocity with both his fists held out. The friction from his speed naturally deepens the volume of his flames, turning him into a living meteor. I gently extend my arm to the right and use a gap to grab my parasol from afar, then hold it up and open with my one arm as support.

His body collides head-on and the flames disperse around the breadth of my parasol, obscuring my view of everything but myself. He doesn't stop there. He pounds away at my parasol with a flurry of punches each stronger than the last, building up to one final smash with both his fists at the headway.

My parasol holds up under all that scruntiny with little more than a couple burn marks, and as I am propelled through the starry void I twirl back around and let myself fly into a large gap. In such a realm I can remove the properties of momentum from my body and land softly upon an empty space as though I had finished gliding through the sky like Mary Poppins.

I turn around and close my parasol as I point it upward. With a little parsing of the battle I pushed open a series of gaps surrounding the flummoxed boy and tried to pin him down with a wide arrangement of lasers. His second Soul Shield kept him protected, but the pressure from all the lasers acted as titanic nails to keep him from moving.

He flexes his arms with the grunting of an ogre in heat, shattering the lasers bit by bit. I figured it would be a simple task for him to accomplish, but that's fine. The **real** attack requires just a little more preparation on my part.

I remain within the boundary as I channel a substance through my parasol that the fledgling Phoenix of Destruction would be a bit familiar with. Though it had been a few years, so perhaps he might not. I can't rely on this much, but it should serve to rip through a few of those pesky shields.

As he breaks through my pitiful restraints I emerge ten feet in front of him and point my parasol forward. A glimmer of black light pierces through his vision before a laser emerges to drown his body in a tidal wave of foreign energy.

His eyes widened, exposing a glint of vulnerability as he swung his whole body aside to try and evade it. The laser brisked him just enough to shatter two of his shields. I admit to being a little rash. Had I waited just a second longer, I could have gotten through four of his shields total.

His eyes narrowed to a pinpoint, scorching rage while he growled a single word, "Subspace..."

Yes, Subspace. The otherworldly power wielded by the man who called himself Tabuu. There wasn't much left to scavenge after his last defeat, especially after that pitiful Cackletta had her fill to create her puppet, but it was worth the trouble just to see that brief glimpse of shock on his face.

"You BITCH...!" He snapped at me more violently than even I could've anticipated.

He thrust his palms out and bombarded me with giant fireballs for a few seconds, where I used my open parasol to deflect them all, feeling naught but the hot wind against my hair. The breeze shifted around my back, and I glimpse over my shoulder to see that he has dashed right behind me.

He swings his right hand out and latches onto the back of my head, his fingertips forging tiny cracks in my skull. He then jerked back around and swung me overhead, leaping into the air while creating a platform of diamond to slam me down upon, causing it to shatter immediately.

He then let me go. A foolish decision I'd quickly make him regret. I plant one hand down and twirl my body around like I'm breakdancing, coating the tips of my feet in the last remnants of Subspace I had available. My kicks connected two times with his legs, slicing through just as many shields and ripping through his jeans to draw blood.

He grimaced only slightly and wrenched his body back, swinging his arms out as far as possible while charging them with a hundred gigavolts of electricity. With a thunderous clap of the hands he swung his body forth and let loose a storm of lightning in a spherical field miles in diameter.

Nothing I could really do but stand there and take it. My body lit up like the brightest christmas tree, and smoke sizzled up across the length of my arms. Yet my delicate features bore no scars. Perhaps one of few benefits to being one with the boundary, if I am to be honest.

This allows me to stand right up and gesture my left hand up high, creating a plethora of gaps to surround the boy from above. From these I send out hundreds upon hundreds of small red lasers as a distraction. He draws his sword and spin around like a tornado, twirling his blade to deflect every laser precisely.

He was purely on the defensive for now. Fear was the one thing that could hold back his mighty rage, and it was only after everything that had occurred to him thus far that said fear was at its strongest. Five shields were down, two to go. Hmmm, how will I go about removing them?

Subspace wasn't the only foreign substance at my disposal, but it was certainly the most efficient at surprising him. Anything else simply won't measure up, especially if I were to toss them out all willy-nilly. No, I need to time my next move juuuust right.

One thousand or so lasers were a nice distraction, if not difficult to maintain. Sure enough, when Alex found his opening, he batted one of the lasers at me faster than a baseball pitched by a pro. I dodge it by turning sideways, then close the gaps immediately. Can't let him get out of hand there.

But alas, the bird's now free from his cage, and his first move is to spin his sword like a buzzsaw and throw it straight towards me. I use my parasol to block it, then slip away into a gap as its let go. Right as I entered the darkness he charged to my location and slashed the air with his burning right hand.

He paused a second then called his sword back, peering to the left. His eyes sent shivers down my spine, while his nose twitched as though privy to my scent. The gap between dimensions would soon not be enough to keep him from me, that much I could ascertain. If I moved even slightly, he'd smash through the boundary and rip me right out.

But...why would I do that? What worth would there be in just rolling out the red carpet and waltzing right into view? No, there was a better way to handle this. Acting as thoughI was one with the air I breathed, I floated silently around the boy until in front of my parasol.

It was hard to resist giggling during this act of mischief...But you can obviously tell that's a lie, right? But its just a little, little white lie, nothing to fret over. Soon after I create a gap just big enough for my hand to slip through...

"SHINK!"

And his blade was there ready to cut it off. He didn't stab it. He threw it, cracking my gap wider open and burning the pitch black darkness as it struggled to slip through.

But I wasn't there. I was behind him, opening a gap for myself right as he threw his sword. By the time he noticed my deception, I had called my parasol back and used it to attack his back with two diagonal grazing blows. His sixth shield didn't even let my attack touch him with the delicacy of a feather.

He unflinchingly twisted his head back and stiffened his shoulders, his knuckles buckling down tight to the point I wondered how the bones didn't penetrate the skin. He then spun around and cut me down the chest with his sword before I could blink.

It hurt. A lot. I could feel my blood flowing like lava, my sweat boiling like a geyser, and my skin searing like the surface of the sun. In time this agony would subside through the efforts of the boundary, but for now I'd just have to grin and bear it. And besides...Everything went _exactly_ as planned.

See, there is another way to introduce foreign substances to the universe beyond creating new forms of energy. Say for example...opening a way to another realm?

"Heeheehee...!" With a playful giggle I perplexed him enough to create the opening I need, and the walls between dimensions tore open in the same pattern I carved with my parasol.

With Alex in the direct center, a way to the boundary, shaped like an "X", was ripped wide open one slice at a time. His sixth shield was obliterated, followed up with his seventh. And I stood back and watched, laying peacefully on my stomach within a partially opened gap.

I couldn't draw blood this way, but the psychological scarring would more than suffice. Its not as though there were any pieces of sanity left to break at this point, right?

He staggered back, draped his arms out, and started panting. The flames flickered around his body akin to a lighter trying to be started. He then looked up at me with his heart pounding visibly against his chest. I laid my hands upon my cheeks and then said to him _cheekily_ , "What will you do now?

He was gasping for air, but his mind was still clinging on tightly to those itty-bitty fragments of sanity. He worked out a plan of attack, or rather, a plan of defense. He was vulnerable for a full minute, and there was no one to provide him back up for that period.

At least, no one he could talk to directly. There was still that little stone tucked tenderly in his right pocket, the stone of which he truly knew little about. But what he did know, was that it could stop time. The moment his eyes darted for that pocket, I had already long predicted his next move down to the millisecond.

He had gotten far too complacent using that stone as a "Get out of death free" card, even if it was not of his free will that his life had been spared. But that is of no fault of anyone but that puppetmaster of an "Author". He purposefully threw him into worlds where his ability to freeze time would have no counter.

But not only could I counter it, I could do so in just five words. Though first I must wait for the exact nanosecond in which he activates it. He slipped his hand in deep and gripped the stone tight, awakening it from its brief, peaceful slumber.

I close my eyes and whisper the words "Border of Time and Space" and feel his presence vanish only for the exact measurement of time I described before. Then the next second, I am floating amidst a colorless void. The beauty of the stars is painted over with a monochrome shade, and me and him are the only ones left to bereft its loss.

He let go of the stone and drew his hand up to summon his sword. But the moment he looked at me his jaw dropped and his pupils shrank. My smile gave him shivers, and as I position myself upright I wink and place a single finger upon my lips.

"There's nowhere to run, didn't I make that clear?"

He grabbed his sword in both hands and pulled it back. After I go "Oh?" with the faintest curiosity he slashed down then right back up in a single stroke, firing a blade of compressed wind my way. After floating to the right I lean back and brandish my parasol, firing a series of curved lasers from an orb of golden light.

They all home in onto his location and force him to evade, but I am able to keep pace if not outspeed him entirely. He kept an eye on their bewildering flight and cut them down one-by-one. While time is stopped like this, I unfortunately cannot open my gaps.

That's fine. I have plenty of other tricks up my sleeves. For starters, I send my parasol twirling upward, where from the tip a rain of sparkling stars goes flying across the area. Each of them move faster than plummeting comets, but aren't worth much in the way of damage.

Peppering Alex with some of them suffices for now while I prepare my more fatal magic. I stand up and cross my arms, then start making motions to etch a large pentagram in front of me. He doesn't give me the chance to finish it, as he comes charging right in and smashes it to pieces with a single punch.

...Oh well, there's always another opportunity waiting around every corner. But for now, I glide out of the way of Alex's bull-like charge and snap my fingers, coordinating the shattered magic to converge around his left arm. The magic wraps itself around it as snug as a glove and holds it in place.

He tried clenching his fist, he tried pulling it out. Neither method would work, for my magic was beyond even his god-like strength. I pull my parasol down and close it, then wind it up like a baseball bat. His eyes widened, perhaps taken off-guard by how silly my choice of attack was, and was then bludgeoned clean in the nose. The impact scattered stars in the air, lightening up this dismal mood, and shattered his restraints to let him tumble away.

He swung his wings out to cushion himself and shook his head. His nose was bleeding, and his face around it was bright pink. And now my parasol is stained. This really has been a terrible day for one of us, hasn't it?

Shaking my accessory dry instead of fighting sent him hurtling right back towards me in a rage. I glide out of his way then kicked him firmly in the gut. He staggers and spews spit and blood from his mouth, grabbing onto his abdomen with both his arms right away.

So I am quite a bit more delicate than my peers, but my physical strength is still that of a Youkai. If I felt a need to, I could match blows with an oni or a vampire. But then that would ruin my best gloves, and really, why should I go through the trouble of replacing them?

Now then. Time to deliver the coup de grace on this little show of humility. My parasol, all prim and proper once more, is pointed to his back with a laser focused down to a fine, pin sized tip building up there. I smile and ready myself to puncture his body whole.

But then he spins around and smashed the blunt side of his blade into my parasol, deflecting the laser skyward and forcing it out of my hand. He then reached for my face and wrapped his glove around, striking me with a point-blank explosion.

It'll be a little tougher keeping track of what happens for a few seconds, given the smoky state of my eyes, so bear with me for a bit. I could feel his fist pounding into my gut like a hammer dipped in the magma of a dwarven forge, my body steadily rising higher until it was laid out flat in mid-air.

He then pulled away and thrust his hands down, bringing forth a mighty bolt of lightning to strike my back. Not content with hurting me that much, he had the audacity to smash my body through three plates of steel. They weren't even thin either. Each one was thicker than my head.

It was a time to be grateful for my otherworldly endurance, otherwise my head would've been split wide open like a grape. And while you're thinking about that gruesome sight, I gracefully lean back and leave myself adrift in the frozen time, with my sight having been returned clearly enough to fight back.

But...it has been a minute, hasn't it? Then it is time to stop playing around like this. With one more brief shift of the Border of Time and Space, time resumes for us both. I immediately open fire with a series of darkness lasers from a dozen gaps, awakening the eighth shield to protect the boy as he dove straight at me.

I swiftly etch some glyphs into the air to act as barriers. He smashes through them like paper, naturally, but those precious milliseconds they gave shall not be wasted. I etch a larger glyph in my path, one with a crimson hue and symbols that the boy would find familiar were he not blinded with rage.

His punch collided full force with this glyph, but this one would never yield. Now, Phoenix of Destruction, you shall see that vast reportoire of techniques isn't just anchored to this world.

"Empty Sky Form..." I whisper with a little giddiness as time froze for a brief moment, allowing me to capture the exact second that Alex lost himself to shock. Then at my declaration of "Winter's Riposte" my barrier disappeared, and a powerful single strike of snow white energy lashed against the front of his body and sent him hurtling far away.

The ninth barrier saved him, but just barely. The time to follow up on this bewilderment was now and only now, so after mustering up the strength to stand I point my parasol at the ground and send ripples through my surroundings.

I become one with my own spirit and transcend the boundary of man, concentrating on an energy that lurks beyond the void of life and death. Then with my soul connected perfectly with this power, I incite the incantation necessary to summon forth a binding technique.

"Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo Number 61..." My unconscious body raises its right index fingers towards the sky as I declare its name proudly, "Rikujokoro!"

Six thin, wide beams of light slam into Alex's midsection and hold him in place, even with the tenth shield acting as his protection. He could not move his arms, legs or even his mouth. He was frozen with a bitter scowl most delightful to watch try and squirm.

I then return to my body and turn around, pointing my parasol at my captive enemy and squinting my right eye shut. The incantation of this next technique revolts me a little, but luckily it is not a requirement to say. I'll just skip straight to the point, "Hado Number 90...Kurohitsugi!"

A large torrent of powerful gravity envelops his body, then surrounds him in a massive box of black energy covered in several spear-like protrusions. As I prepare to lacerate his body and tear all his remaining shields to shreds, I feel a tremor rip through the dimension.

Cracks form in the coffin, each burning with bright, bloody hatred, and then the whole thing explodes like I had just foolishly attempted to contain a supernova. He dives right at me and I raise my parasol in defense, only for him to curve straight around it and smash his fist into my hip.

The bones crack as I'm sent flying, and I quickly open a gap to make a hasty retreat. It may appear like I have the upper hand in this battle, but that is simply because I have a good poker face. All things have their limits, even me. And I would rather not risk dying this soon.

But as I felt safe in my boundary, he turned the tables by showing _me_ fear through the brutal act of tearing his way through with his bare hands. My heart pounds against my chest as he grabs me by the neck and rips me out of the boundary, tearing through the dimensional wall using my body as his means.

He drags me through faster than it can repair, building up momentum to the point that I had to close my eyes before I get dizzy. The heat increased, boiling my blood, and soon I was swept up within a burning ring of fire. I felt I was going down, down, down while the flames went higher.

After throwing me fifty feet into the air he sucked the flames into a condensed orb, pulling me in as well. My back pressed against it and caused my entire body to curve, putting my face next to his. I still keep smiling on, because I know it angers and makes him act rashly.

He took a second to widen his scowl, and with that brief respite I was able to open up a gap directly on my back to swallow all the flames. It made _them_ angry, but they'd just have to get over it. I then quickly twirl around and kick him in the face, activating his eleventh shield. Three left to go, then he'd have nothing to protect him from the harsh truths of the world.

He doesn't flinch though, and roughly grabs my ankle while staring stoically at my face. He pulls me to the ground of steel he just made, and tethers me down with poison ivy. Scratchy stuff, but it does taste good on a salad sometimes. He then draws his sword and goes straight for the neck. I summon a gap to intercept the cut, then chide him with a click of the tongue.

So he instead stabs for my heart, and I repeat the same process. I am not your pincushion, boy. If you want to express your anger, there are better outlets to do so. Two failures seemed to be enough to get him to try something else, as he quickly raised his left hand and wrapped the steel around me.

He really does like leaving me blind, doesn't he? Whatever, my other senses haven't dulled in my old age. I can feel the heat boiling down at me very close. He intends to broil me alive, like I'm some kind of Thanksgiving turkey. But between that and the thick steel, any noise I'd make would fail to reach him. So this is actually the perfect chance to dabble in a little more dark magic.

Lets see here...How about a demonic twist on an old favorite?

"I, who stand in the full light of the heavens, command thee, who opens the gates of Hell. Come forth, unholy lightning!" While he was so absorbed in trying to kill me, he failed to notice the sky above him rip apart with a blood red series of glyphs stacked in a tower concentrating a million volts of black electricity on his location.

"This ends now!" If only.

"Dark Indignation!"

Cast with the fury of the underworld at my side, the black lightning bolt smashes into Alex's body and breaks his concentration. His body could weather the shock, but his shields were not so lucky. Two more shattered, but not the last. Unfortunate.

The heat of lightning melts my way to freedom, and I unfurl my parasol to divert its molten flow while poking his face with a smile and giggle. He finally does what I had expected to from the start and grabs my parasol, then burns it to ash with a thought.

...Good thing that wasn't my favorite one.

He then grabs the collar of my shirt and punches me in the face. He grabs me and repeats the process. Then again, then again, then again and again. Finally he breaks into tears and screams into my ears, "Why won't you fucking DIE?!"

It hurts, doesn't it? To want something dead so badly, yet the universe curses you to fail every time? And its not even me you despise cause of this. You hate yourself too, Alex Whiter. But you can't blame me for that. Its all the fault of that clingy one in your right pocket.

...But not as though admitting that to his face would draw that little one from her hiding place. No, my time is best served putting an end to our little game. So I smile, and draw my right hand back to perform my greatest act of defiance.

I slap him across the face, dirtying my hand. This pops the fourteenth and final shield, and causes his eyes to start trembling and well up with furious tears.

He casts me aside, and I tell him bluntly, "We're connected, you and I...It is our fate to fight forever, whether through you, or through your 'Author'. And-"

"Shut up...Shut the HELL up." He raised his gloved hand up to his face, with his expression drowned in the shadows cast by his flames.

"I'm severing this connection...ONCE AND FOR ALL!" He bellowed out a mighty roar as he reached for the lip of the glove and viciously declared, "Recognize Password...Lumina and Abraham Whiter!"

The glove came right off at his beck and call, unleashing a cascade of bright rainbow flames more beautiful than an aurora borealis, and more deadly than a collapsing star. The flames spread out across his entire body, consuming the remaining ashes of sanity in his soul.

Then before I could smile, blink, or react in any manner whatsoever, he smashed that burning fist into my chest. He hadn't the strength of will to yell its name. He put everything he had into punching me repeatedly. From my head to my legs, he made me feel his rage.

It wasn't long before I lost the ability to feel, as my body as consumed in an inferno. These flames were unlike any other. They were fueled by the souls of the dead, and thus could burn that deeply. I lost track of where I was, and how to think.

Fading...my consciousness...Consumed in fire...A world of destruction...My life...for this cause...I am...

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…

…

Alex floated there with dark smoke rising across his body. His wings lost their luster, and turned to ash. His hand, which had housed the deadly flames, looked wrinkled and crusty like a mummy's flesh. He panted, exhausted of all his elemental energy. He put everything into killing Yukari Yakumo, and now all that was left of her was a wisp of smoke that would soon flicker out.

He could smile easy, as he proudly yelled to the high heavens, "That is what you get...for messing with us...You senile bitch!"

The simplest insults sometimes are the most satisfying. **I** can confirm that to be true.

"Ouch, that definitely looked like it hurt. I feel so sorry for myself...Dying in such an undignified manner." Before I waltzed out of a gap, I saw Alex's face turn pale, and the life drained from his eyes.

I hold my parasol over my shoulder and smile down at him, then decide to lounge atop the gap I just walked through. Its been a tiring journey, and my feet are tired. A shame _this_ Ran is currently occupied. I could use a massage.

"H-How..." He gasped while falling into a slump. He tried to push himself up, but its pointless. He'd need crutches just to walk right now, let alone fight.

I giggle profusely, and lean back into a state of full relaxation as I begin to explain, "Don't be too upset. Officially, the Yukari Yakumo of this timeline is dead...Well, to be precise, the Yukari Yakumo that had to occupy this timeline is dead."

He went silent. How else could he respond to such absurdity? But its quite simple, really.

"You never did solve the mystery of how I could have died in this timeline, yet still be alive while evading the Yama's judgment, did you? That's because of the boundary. To be precise, the nature of the boundary."

"See, the boundary exists in the space between universes. So in essence, it acts as a tunnel between timelines too. That's how in spite of there being multiple timelines, one Yukari Yakumo eventually comes to learn everything her other selves did. Not just that, but a parallel Yukari can enter the prime Yukari's timeline...Assuming that the prime Yukari has died."

"So first the Celestial used that spear to kill the prime Yukari, and so the Yukari you just killed came to replace her. That Yukari had actually traveled from the timeline where you instigated the plan to kill all the villains on the BlazBlue world, but ended up annihilating the whole world in rage. I, on the other hand, came from a very, very recent split. It was the timeline where Yuyuko killed you and Shina Aurora."

I lean my head back and glanced at him with a tired smile. He was losing it. I could see his body and mind breaking from the way he shook so viciously like an earthquake.

"Do you understand now how serious I am about overcoming the 'Author'? That I would let myself die not just once, but twice, in order to accomplish my goals? You're welcome to try and kill me for good, Phoenix of Destruction...But there are maybe...thousands of me out there? And you've drained yourself dry just to kill the one. And sure, you could recover your energy, but the longer you wait the more divergences will occur."

So I close my eyes and ask him prudently, "So what will it be? Do you understand your pitiful lot in life now? Or does this bird still have its talons to bear at me?"

"Kill...Kill you...!" He dug his feet firmly into the 'ground' and refused to yield. His veins bulged across his skin, and caused the dimension to tremble. He devolved into a screaming, snarling creature that could only say the same thing over and over again.

His eyes became filled with red light, and the black space around him twisted and molded around his body. I smiled, not at his defiance, but at what it meant. Nature, Water, Wind, Electricity, Earth, Ice and Fire...He could no longer rely on those elements to fight for him. But little did he realize that he could dip his toes in an eighth element this entire time, and it was only through desperation that he'd do so now.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" His throat was torn to shreds as he screamed, and his body erupted with a disgusting, primordial darkness. It was pitch black, and only the glow from his eyes made him visible.

This would normally be a turning point for the worse, where the 'hero' dives into darkness to overcome a terrifying threat. But instead his rage broke, and he stared blankly at his hands that were filled to the brim with darkness. His mouth stood agape, and he trembled like a child.

I sit up and lay my hands on my lap, then shake my head in pity.

"You boast that you know who you are, Alex Whiter...But not you don't. You know nothing. Worst of all, you don't even know the truth about who or WHAT your 'parents' actually were."

I then reach my cold hand out and twist it around while snapping my fingers, "But I do not have anymore time for games. I've gotten everything I set out to accomplish."

By playing with the Border of Light and Dark, I robbed the boy of all his newfound power instantly, leaving him a frail and broken husk of a 'person'. I then hover closer to him, the gap behind me stretching ever wider as their hollow eyes stare deeply into what remained of his soul.

"Now...I will not kill you. But I will have you experience only a fraction of what the boundary is capable of. Maybe then you'll realize..." My eyes and voice both lose all traces of emotion, _"That you never stood a chance of beating me."_

...

...

 _Meanwhile, in the Netherworld..._

Ran falls at last, on knees cut and bloody. Her fur was ruffled and dark red, and her tails looked ready to come apart. She dugs her claws into the ground, struggling to draw on some more energy to fight. But she had nothing, not even a drop.

"H-How is this possible...? First the tanuki, then a detestable Aurian...!" Her pride was wounded more than her body, and the shame weighed so heavily upon her shoulders that her head drooped. Shina stood in front of her, looking just as worse for wear as the kitsune, though with less blood in her hair. She kept a firm grip on her sword and watched as Ran groaned in dismay.

"How will I ever recover from this... _shame_?!"

...Perhaps I ought to have told her more about the girl's powers. But if she couldn't figure them out on her own, then that is _her_ fault, and I shall reprimand her accordingly.

"You should worry about more than just your shame, Ran." I scold her softly as I slowly emerge from a gap behind the frightened Aurian.

She turns around, and I deliver her a "gift". Alex's body is thrown onto the ground like a discarded doll. His skin is cold and pale, and he's shaking terribly...He was only in there for fifteen seconds, but it must have felt like fifteen _days_.

Shina dropped her sword immediately and tried to pick him up. There were many wrinkles under his eyes, and he gasped pallidly for air. He put one hand on her shoulder and muttered her name in a barely audible whisper.

"H-Help me...S-Shina..."

...There I saw it. Even this deep into despair, just being in her presence restored a flicker of hope in those eyes. But it was pointless. All mortals have their limits. Through all the perils that she has had to suffer, this would prove to be the last straw for Shina Aurora. Between her family and Alex Whiter, she would choose-

" _FWOOSH!"_

A cold wind caressed the side of my face as I find the girl's blade pointed at my face. The tip was but an inch away, yet felt like it had already cut me. On the opposite end of that blade was a stare that could melt all ice in the universe, and made me feel...nervous. This is a curious feeling. A very, very bizarre and curious...feeling.

She was cradling the rattled puppet in her left arm, and defying me even though she doesn't look to have the strength to walk. Slowly, Alex's broken mind was healing.

No. No, this is not how this was supposed to go.

It was hard to keep my lips stiff in a smile under these circumstances. I wanted to chide her for her foolishness, but she had something to say about that.

"Are you happy with yourself? Are you _satisfied_?"

…

"Hand over the Cosmos Drive. _Now._ "

She had no cards to play. There was no leverage to overpower me. All she had was a firm voice, and those fiery eyes. So why am I...

"...Hmmm..." I close my eyes and gently flick my right fingers up to create a gap a few feet to the left of them. Its an open passage to outer space, on the opposite side of Gensokyo to be precise. As humorous as it must be to imagine me throwing them into the cold vacuum of space out of spite, I'm not that direct.

On the other side of the gap was a bubble of air similar to the ones they've used to traverse the universe. After presenting it to them, I relayed my intentions in a relaxed tone.

"I do not have the Cosmos Drive. You have been thoroughly deceived. But...You are not far off from it. This bubble I've provided will take you to your destination. Eventually it will break, but...By the time it does it will no longer be necessary. You'll see why."

I was most sincere, but not like that'd ease her rage. She just gave me a dry laugh and said, "That's it? That's it?!"

She bit her teeth down and raised her voice higher and higher, "You did all this, all THIS?! ...And we're expected to just go along our merry way like nothing happened?!"

The sword was now centimeters away from my neck as she made her demands, "I want your **word** , Yukari Yakumo, that you will not lay another hand on Alex ever, EVER again. Cause if you do, I swear to GOD I will hunt you down the moment I have the Cosmos Drive, and make you wish you were never born!"

Swearing to 'God'...If only she knew the irony of that. Hrrmmm...

"...Very well. I agree to your terms. Neither me nor my contemporaries shall ever lay a single finger on the boy again," I then gently peer my eyes open and remark cheerfully, "Well then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your journey."

She stared at me for a while as she stood up and took cautious steps towards my gap with Alex in tow. She shifted between looking out to space and then back at me, before finally she stepped all the way through and I sealed the gap immediately.

Ran threw her arms towards me and yelled, "Y-You're letting them go?! Why isn't the Phoenix of Destruction-"

"Ran, you shall tend to the Netherworld's gardens for the next month as compensation for your failure today." I remark stoically.

"B-But-"

"Shall I make it _two_?"

She shuts up, finally.

"Now, tend to your wounds and get to work."

She limped off, giving me a brief scornful glare before disappearing from sight. Then I hear a deep yawn from behind me, and turn around to find my dear friend Yuyuko stretching her arms as though just getting up from a brief nap.

"Ahhh, good morning Yukari. How are you doing?"

Her smile brightened my mood like the sun. I turned around and giggled, "It is still the same day, Yuyuko."

"Oh?" She gave me a ghastly look of surprise and raised the tip of her right sleeve to her mouth. Then she closed her eyes and chuckled back, "Dear me, so it is. I awoke feeling hungry, so I had presumed it was breakfast time."

"Heh. I'll make you a meal in a little bit."

"So, I'm guessing its all over now?" She asked me innocently.

…

I turn away and open up a gap in front of me, answering with a firm but quiet "No" before I slipped through it. You've always been good at reading me, Yuyuko, but this is not a matter I can discuss with you anymore...Forgive me.

…

…

…

...

" _Well well, you've finally returned. How did it go?"_

" _Don't give me that smile. You know_ _ **exactly**_ _how it went."_

" _It would have been cheating if I told you you were bound for failure, old friend."_

" _...Or rather, you are struggling with the fact that you_ _ **know**_ _what my failure leads to."_

" _...You are really going to ask me to do that now, aren't you?"_

" _You're the only one who can."_

" _...I refuse."_

" _..."_

" _...Is what I wish I could say. But_ _ **she**_ _already despises me enough as is. There is nothing I can do to change that. You have forced me down this road, old friend."_

" _...I'd say 'sorry', but that would be a lie."_

" _And you don't do lies. That's why you agreed to the girl's terms so...precisely."_

" _And I shall uphold my end of the bargain to the very end. The Phoenix of Destruction shall be dealt with._ _ **I**_ _won't lay a_ _ **hand**_ _on him, and neither will_ _ **my**_ _contemporaries."_

" _Yes. To the girl, I will be naught but a stranger in the night. By the time she learns of our connection...It will already be too late."_

" _Indeed."_

" _...If I may voice my opinion a little."_

" _What is it?"_

" _You are so overly concerned with causing the boy's mental state to decay, yet seem to pay no heed to the girl's own mind. Need I remind you that she_ _ **does**_ _need to still reach the Cosmos Drive, yes?"_

" _She'll be fine. This'll hurt, as all things in life do, but she will be fine."_

" _...Hrrmm..."_

" _Do you know something I don't, perhaps?"_

" _No...No I do not."_

" _...You are a terrible liar. But I suppose I will leave those consequences in your hands."_

" _How_ _ **incredibly**_ _kind of you, old friend."_

" _I aim to please~"_

" _I shall miss this fine wit of yours, Yukari."_

" _And I the same. But now...I must tend to the final preparations. We shall meet again in a month from your perspective."_

" _Aye. The fated moment fast approaches. The time of the Phoenix's reckoning draws close."_

" _And though I shall play my part to the very end, even I must admit...It is fitting that_ _ **you**_ _be the one to ultimately put the final nail in his coffin. After all, you have plenty of experience playing with the hearts of Elemental Overlords, don't you...Justek Arcavira?"_

 **Clash of the Elements Part 4 EX Final Story...**

 **THE END...?**

* * *

 **Yukari's Notes:**

Congratulations on clearing this story on Hard Mode with 1CC. You have unlocked the Extra Stage.

Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please watch warmly until it is ready~

...I shall see you all again very, very soon.


	33. Extra Stage Chapter 1

"Gods are powerful beings. They can have a multitude of strange and mystifying powers. They could use these powers as keepers of the peace, or become creatures of rampant destruction..."

It all began with this line. This line, so abhorrent and ignorant of its own narcissism, established "Gods'" firm foothold in this universe. From that day forth, the worlds have paid plenty a price for his crimes. The once innocent peace of the Mushroom Kingdom was surrendered to a war between warriors from the past, present and future. Reality nearly crumbled to nothingness, saved only by suspect circumstances. The Hero of Time fell, conquered by the restored Demon King, whose existence would not have been possible were it not for the Phoenix of "Balance".

The remnants of a proud warrior race were transferred to another world and slaughtered to be used as fodder for "Gods'" personal pet project. Darkness reigned supreme over the hearts of light, and threatened to consume the universe whole.

There are so, **so** many other events that you are not privy to, viewers beyond the static veil. But...the puppets responsible are not to blame for what has happened. At least not fully. They were simply tools, played and discarded at "his" whim.

But I do not need to deal with the Phoenix of Restoration or the Phoenix of Balance. So long as the Phoenix of Destruction is removed from the picture, there will be no way for "God" to replace him...But my direct presence shall not be required for the next part of this plan. For that, I shall leave it all up to my comrade.

Only one link keeps the boy tethered to sanity. But it is the strongest link of all, one born of the purest, naivest love.

I underestimated you, Shina Aurora. I will admit that now. I should have presumed from that start that you would not be easily swayed to disassociate yourself from that puppet. But in order for my success to come to pass, there can only be one possibility moving forward. You've left me no other choice, Shina Aurora. But let that be a testament to how much I respect your strength of will. You earned the right to wield the Cosmos Drive, and let no one say otherwise.

...A pity then, that it had to end this way.

 **Extra Stage Chapter 1: The Man Caged by the Future**

It has only been a couple hours since Shina and Alex left Gensokyo behind them. Utilizing Yukari's "gift" of transportation, the two were slowly drifting towards their true final destination. Shina cautiously kept the artifact out at all times, but the trail it created lined up perfectly with the way the air bubble was gravitated towards.

So far, the Phantasm hadn't lied. But that didn't mean she'd earned any forgiveness. Shina could only think angry thoughts about her as she looked at the near comatose Alex, who was lying on his back with his limbs bent around, and his eyes as blank as paper.

She sat on her knees and waited for a response, but the only thing he did was breathe in and out. She budged a little closer, but stopped at the edge of his feet upon feeling them shake. They could only muster a glancing kick, but it stung of rejection towards her assistance.

"...Ok Alex," She spoke softly, forcing a smile as she eased back and laid her hands on her legs, "I'll be riiight here."

A few days then passed uneventfully. Shina got only a few hours of sleep, and her stomach was growling like mad. Her head started to bob, only for her to bring it right back up while smacking her lips. Her legs were feeling stiff and weak, and her vision groggy. Her fleeting strength may have been causing hallucinations, for she could swear she saw Alex's limbs straightening themselves out.

But it was no illusion. Far from it. The boy had regained enough strength to move, and his breathing got louder. Slow, steady breaths, but none of them ragged or dry. Shina gasped raspily and leaned in closer, hoping to hear him speak.

Instead he lifted his fingers up, and they were trembling as though they were dipped in ice. With what little strength he had to muster, he created a couple apples and some peanuts beside him. Then his hand flopped down, and he let out a couple rough coughs.

Shina looked at Alex for a bit, and saw him blink for the first time in a while. She smiled and a couple tears trickled down her cheeks. Then she scrambled for the food he gifted her and gobbled it all down in minutes, stiffening a grin the whole way.

Then a week passed, with Alex continuing to provide Shina sustenance so she wouldn't collapse all of a sudden. This didn't do anything to help her sleep cycle, which was getting worse by the day. She'd only get a couple hours of rest at a time, if even that.

Alex's condition was steadily improving. He tried making decent attempts at sitting up...But they were just that. Attempts. He'd fall back down, and Shina would provide her a cushion of aura for his head every time.

Three weeks after leaving Gensokyo, Alex finally succeeded in sitting upright. He hung his hands between his crossed legs and hunched over, his eyes sagging and his lips in a constant frown. He lifted his head just enough to look at Shina, and his nose started twitching.

She smelled bad. She hadn't gotten to shower all this time, and it was beginning to show. But instead of resolving the problem, he hung his head and groaned. His head hurt, like a nail had been taken to the back of his skull. He could vividly recall what had happened prior to arriving in this bubble, but had naught the courage to tell Shina any of it.

She kept watching over him, and he responded with no more than three words at a time whenever she'd ask him if he was doing fine. His throat felt scratchy, even though it was moist inside. His powers kept him from sleeping, so he sat there and often watched Shina drift off without her own realization of the fact.

" _This isn't right..."_ He thought, his mind tormented with guilt as he squeezed out a scowl and clutched his fists, _"I'm just a burden to her now..."_

"Burden"...Just thinking that word dredged up Yukari's voice, and her ridiculous stories about an "Author" and his "Blanks" squeezed his brain like a grape. He punched the ground and sent a soft ripple through the bubble, which awoke Shina from one of her many naps.

She stared at him with wrinkles under her eyes and murmured with concern, "Not doing so good, huh?"

He turned his head aside and didn't speak. She nodded, adept to his way of thinking, and just sat back and drifted into slumber.

Alex just didn't know what to do. How could he keep up this lie? Because...maybe this would be the one thing that Shina just wouldn't be able to handle? He wasn't certain what her breaking point was at this point, only that it felt close to happening.

Succumbing to paranoia of the mind, Alex shut up entirely and only continued to provide Shina food.

Finally, after a full month had passed since their departure, their surroundings began to change. Gone were the blackest depths of space. Now everything was bright green with mixes of blue, all of it drowning out the light of the stars. There were a multitude of planetoids dotting the area. Even from here, the two of them could identify twenty, each with their own unique biome.

And beyond them all lied a gigantic, bright blue light akin to a sun. But it did not project warmth, nor did it scorch all in its path. It provided something pure, something that could not be explained by science: Life.

Life, in its purest, undilluted essence, filled the depths of space and allowed this beauty to take bloom. Shina's artifact started to pulse in her hands, with prolonged exposure making her body tingle. She was too tired to even stand, and yet there she still sprang up on both her feet and rushed towards the edge of the bubble.

"Its there! I can't believe it...we're finally here!" She cheered triumphantly, blissfully unaware of the tears that ran down her face.

Alex slowly swiveled his head towards the bright blue light, but caught a glimpse of something far to the right. It was a massive orb of pure darkness, which throbbed like a beating heart. Any light that came close was devoured, creating this terrible, unnatural divide between it and their destination.

" _Thus when the Realm of Darkness breeched the 'fictional' universe, it created a spacial rift in the 'real' universe that dragged the 'Author' into our 'fictional' universe..."_ The Phantasm's words echoed in his head, and with a scowl he turned away from the darkness and faced the light.

That was when he noticed that the bubble was beginning to decay. Not slowly either. The whole thing would be gone in three seconds, and they would be exposed to the harsh elements of space. Alex's body throbbed stiffly in pain and made it impossible to stand. So he swung his right arm and yelled "Shina, get back!" while trying to muster up another air bubble.

But not only was he too late...There was little to fear. Their bodies floated around without gravity to hold them down, but neither of their skins turned the slightest shade of blue. Shina naturally breathed in and out, and giggled excitedly.

"That's amazing! The space here's breathable!"

"...How in the..." Alex squinted towards the blue light and realized that it was the only explanation. Though..."explanation" was a bit of an overstatement, seeing how it was difficult to process how a single celestial body could change the laws of space like this.

But as long as they could breathe, there was no need to think too long about it. Not like he cared too much to get the answers at this point.

Shina floated over to his downtrodden self and reached out with a smile. She thought a little change of scenery might be the cure Alex required, and eagerly urged him by saying, "Come on Alex! We _gotta_ check out a couple of these planets before we reach the Cosmos Drive!"

They' ve almost been on this journey for two years. They're SOOO close to their goal...and yet still she wants to go exploring.

"Heh...hehe!" He smiled, through no exertion of his own, and reached out to her hand. She clasped her fingers gently around his wrist and turned around, tugging him along towards the nearest planet.

It was this purity that he loved...This purity that he did not deserve.

The planet they landed on was full of grass. It was all bright and colorful like an aurora borealis, and the individual blades tickled their legs with warmth. Shina let go of Alex and leaned out, placing a hand before her forehead to scan the horizon.

"Grass, grass, grass as far as the eye can see!" She said with such enthusiasm. Then she pulled back and turned around to Alex, "Don't ya get what this means?"

He remained silent. She was fully expecting him to snark about the grass, and thus frowned a bit when he didn't. Nevertheless she perked that smile back up and explained, "This is all the Cosmos Drive's doing! The Grand Cosmic Aurian Sage musta figured out how to create a functional biome on a solar system wide scale! And if its that powerful, then there's no WAY that Gravitus'll be able to beat it!"

" _Guess the wait was worth it, but..."_ Alex closed his eyes and shook his head.

Shina puckered her lips and turned around, leaning her head back to quickly say, "I-I'm gonna explore a bit. That ok?"

"...Take your time, I'll be here." He muttered before turning around and tucking his hands into his pockets.

Shina frowned and was about ready to depart when her conscience started screaming at her to "SAY SOMETHING!" She squeezed her eyes shut and grunted, then turned around and waddled back over to Alex. She didn't make a peep, and thus caught him by surprise when she saddled her arms around his waist.

His heart didn't leap out of his chest, but his body did stiffen with fright. She melted his stiffened muscles with her hug and softly reassured him, "Whenever yer ready to talk, I'll be here to listen."

She then stood up, pat her hands atop his shoulders, and mentioned, "Don't let 'er get the better of you Alex. Promise?"

He trembled and remained silent, so she backed off. She was happy enough having tried her best to get him to open up, and let him have his space for now. It'd certainly make exploring this strange, lively planet tougher to swallow without having him around.

But she wanted to get some idea of what the Cosmos Drive was capable of. After all, soon it'd be hers to command! The thought of wielding that much power made her antsy, but as long as her head remained clear and focused she figured she wouldn't go mad with power.

The gravity of this planet was much lighter than Earth. She imagined it was similar to if she were on the Moon. So every step had to be carefully made so she'd not go bouncing ten feet off the ground. After a few minutes of wandering forward she noticed something poking up into view.

"Is that a tree?" She ran closer to it, but "it" quickly became "them" as she was overcome by a whole menagerie of trees.

All of them were ten feet tall and had bright red bark, while half of their bodies were surrounded by a thick, pink organic material resembling the outer layer of a brussel sprout. Shina's eyes sparkled as she ran up and laid her hand against this bizarre material. The skin felt like leather, and the "veins" felt like velcro.

"Oh...My god! These are Crysbloom Trees! But...our history books said they've been extinct for over ten thousand years..." While wondering how they still lived, Shina recalled the way to entice the fruit from its shell and coated her hand in aura, then gently stroked the center of the divide in the shell like she was unzipping a coat.

The shell split open and spread itself like an umbrella, filtering through the luminescence of space to create a soft purple atmosphere. In unison, the other trees bloomed one by one until a whole forest awaited her. And underneath the canopies were these bulbous red fruits with see-through skins filled with these sparkling, crystal like seeds.

She leapt up and snagged one of the fruits from the branch, then softly pinched the top of it. It opened up, hissing air like a deflating balloon, and releasing all the seeds into her other palm. They were moist with juice, yet hard at the same time. She didn't hesitate to fling them all into her mouth and bite down, where those juices exploded into a tsunami of flavor, all contained within her mouth without cutting off her ability to breath.

Her cheeks turned bright pink. It was like eating something with the texture of rock candy, only with the juiciness of an orange or a strawberry. The flavor was indescribable. One second it was sweet, the next it was sour, and it just kept shuffling through those differing flavors like it was on a roulette.

But it made her feel energized again. All that strength she lost from a lack of sleep was returned twofold, and the next thing she knew she sprung high into the air and smacked her head into the bottom of the tree's canopy. She snapped back to reality and rubbed the back of her sore head, then looked up at the fruit with a smile.

"I can see why this stuff's no longer around. Everyone musta gobbled it down!" She reached for another fruit and plucked it down. Then when she was about ready to take another bite her hand froze partway there and retracted to her hip.

"...Maybe this'll help perk up Alex's spirits." She brought the fruit to her side and nodded her head. Then she left the sanctity of the forest and started to head on back to where Alex was.

The grass was high enough to retain the imprints of her footsteps, luckily. So she merrily trotted her way back, looking out and reaching towards the other planets that littered the sky. She longed to visit each one, figuring that each one HAD to contain lost or extinct bits of Aurian history.

But she didn't lose sight of her goal. The last stop, that bright and blue light, remained centered in her vision. Her smile slanted into something of a frown, and she let out a long, longing sigh.

"...I'm coming home soon sis. Just hang in there just a teeny bit longer..."

" _Yes, it certainly has been a long, long journey, hasn't it, Shina Aurora?"_

Shina froze in her tracks and looked around, her heart fluttering in surprise. She could faintly hear a man's voice. He sounded wise, and spoke softly...But perhaps she was simply hearing things, cause there was no presence on this planet besides hers and Alex's.

"That was weird..." She ruffled her nose and turned around to keep walking.

" _Ahem...Next time you hear a voice, try thinking a little_ _ **closer**_ _to the heart."_

That voice was unmistakeable in how close it was to her. Yet when Shina looked around again, there was still no one to be found. Thus, there was only one _possible_ explanation to deduce.

" _Wait huh? Are you...inside my head?"_

" _Why yes I am. I would say it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time but...I've had my eye on your for quite, quite some time, Shina Aurora."_

The person's voice was certainly non-threatening. Actually, he was very well-mannered and polite. Though, considering Yukari tried to display that same kind of attitude, Shina chose to remain cautious optimistic about returning that politeness to him.

"Ummm...A pleasure to meet you too...Mister...?"

" _My name is Justek Arcavira. But you may simply refer to me as Justek. Truth be told, I've never been quite fond of my last name."_

"Jus...tek?" Shina thought something was fishy about that name, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She raised her brows and inquired softly, "You said you've been watching me...A-Are you the Grand Cosmic Aurian Sage?"

" _Heavens, no! I've never even met the guy, let alone know enough to properly mimic his voice or mannerisms."_

"Oooo...kay?" Shina thought his way of speaking was a little weird, but he still didn't seem to be presenting any harm. So she continued away with a couple more questions.

"So if you're not the Grand Cosmic Aurian Sage...Who are you? And...how do you know about me?"

" _Ah, excellent questions! Both I feel obligated to respond to. You can say, in no grander terms, that I am the relic of a bygone era. A person best forgotten, not remembered, in the annals of history."_

He paused to breathe. What was frightening was how life-like it was. It was as though he was looming right over her shoulder. As Shina's body began to shiver, the man hummed and told her gently, _"Do not be frightened. It is merely a by-product of one of my powers. I will try to keep any unnerving actions to a minimum. Will that help ease your mind, Shina Aurora?"_

"S-Sure?" She didn't know how to respond to such...forthcomingness.

" _Now, as to how I know you...Lets just say that like your mother, I am one who can glance into the future. So I glimpsed at your journey long before you were even born"_

Shina's eyes widened and she let out a slight gasp, "Y-You know my mom?!"

" _...'Knew' would be a more apt turn of phrase, my dear. It has been two-thousand years since her and I made eye contact let alone spoke to one another as equals."_

That definitely rang a bell in her head that something was up, so she decided to ask while cautiously squinting her eyes, "How come?"

" _Because the road I chose to change the world around me was decidedly different from that of my peers, and so I have remained imprisoned in this cage ever since."_

" _In fact, my prison is not too far from where you are now. It is how I am able to reach you telepathically."_

"I...reeeeeally don't think I should be talking to you." Shina started to move once again.

But then Justek calmly and firmly requested, _"And you are not wrong. But it is not a conversation I desire, but a pair of open ears to listen. Your ears, to be precise."_

His words gave her increasing discomfort, yet every time those feelings arose he'd immediately say to her, _"Forgive me. I swear I mean you no harm."_

She shouldn't have been enabling his kind of behavior. It was basic Stranger Danger 101...But, there was something about the way he behaved that made it feel like she had known him all her life. A kind of bond of trust that could only have been formed through a lifetime of experiences.

"N-No! Its ok...I just..." She let out a sigh and admitted, "We've...had a bad experience with this person-"

" _Yukari Yakumo, yes?"_

"You...know her too?"

" _Devilish woman that one. But yes, I understand the pain you've been going through."_

Why were his words so genuinely...nice? Though a great distance separated the two, Shina could feel a slight melancholy projecting off Justek's voice. Perhaps...he **was** being sincere.

" _Let it be said that what I am about to say is for your benefit, Shina Aurora. So please, let me say everything I need to before you respond."_

"...You're not going to leave me alone until I say 'Yes', are you?" Shina said with a sigh.

" _You have my solemn vow that you shall never hear a word from me again when we're done."_

So Shina shut up, and Justek continued speaking.

" _I have watched many timelines unfurl over the course of the last two-thousand years. Some good, many bad...I have watched many souls die, unable to do anything myself because I was caged for my own hubris. But there is one calamity I can most certainly prevent...Should you prove willing to push yourself that far."_

" _...By now, I am certain you have heard Yukari's spiel about the Phoenix of Destruction. Tragically, I can affirm that she is not entirely wrong. Alex Whiter poses a threat to all living things. Not just in this timeline, but many others."_

Shina squirmed and her body tensed up.

" _But it is not as though it is a tragedy that CAN'T be averted. Far from it. There is still a chance to nip the event in the bud before the possibility can come to fruition. But you are the only one who can get the job done. And the act must be performed with absolutely 100% certainy in what you are doing."_

"...Why?" She sniveled and scowled, "Why does everyone keep having it out for Alex?"

" _...I'm sorry to place this burden upon you, Shina Aurora."_

"No you're NOT!" She screamed while thrusting her head back to look at the sky. Her eyes were filling with tears, "You're no better than Yukari! Just cause you say Alex is gonna become something, doesn't mean that he will!"

" _...The difference between her and I is that I can confirm that said future will come to pass. Unless...you believe that I would see futures that cannot exist?"_

His chuckle only added salt to an open wound, and Shina tightly closed her eyes and shook her head while continuing to yell, "I don't want to hear anymore of this! You and Yukari can just screw off!"

" _Can you really take the risk that you may the one who is wrong? I suppose you will find out soon enough, seeing how you shall be his first victim."_

Shina's feet stopped after only a couple of steps.

" _...Your faith in him has been admirable. That strength of will was obviously inherited from your mother...But sometimes, a person's nature simply cannot be changed, especially his."_

"You're wrong..." She quietly growled back.

" _I'd love for that to be the case...But I'm a realist, not an idealist. You need to understand, Shina Aurora. If he's pushed towards killing you, the one he loves the most, then what will stop him from killing everything else? The people you met, heroes and villains alike...And your family. They're all in danger."_

"...Alex would never try and kill me." Shina spoke with certainty, even upon being reminded of when he was 'posssessed' by his split personality.

" _'Never' is an absolute...Perhaps you'll understand what I mean more once I tell you a story."_

" _There was this boy. A young, simple-minded boy who wanted to expand his horizons and see more of what the world had to offer. He'd wander off under his parents' purview and visit many other lands and take in their culture. But he quickly learned that the world wasn't so at peace as he believed it to be."_

" _The many cultures he visited were at constant war with each other, fighting for territory or resources that the other's claimed for themselves. They were at a constant impasse, and had been fighting for centuries. So seeing this conflict, the boy took it upon himself to become a hero that would unify the lands under a banner of peace."_

" _At first, he ran into another boy who lived in a tribe that was neutral to all the conflict surrounding them. Through his charismatic, optimistic point of view, the boy quickly made friends with this stranger, and the two would set out together to make his goals a reality."_

" _The boy absorbed the unique knowledge each culture contained like a sponge. His peculiar way of thinking enlightened many adults to see things differently. Some were far more stubborn than the rest, but slowly they opened up to the idea of reaching out to their fellow neighbors and trying to mend the broken bridges that had kept them apart."_

" _He grew older and older, and so did his friends. But while they changed, he remained the same as ever. He always saw the world in black and white. If he could see the good in someone, he'd believe in that until the bitter end."_

" _...But that belief was nothing more than a shelter to shield him from the pain. His belief in justice led to him making terrible mistakes. He saw his best friend as the same person he used to be, and refused to kill him when his betrayal was made obvious. He ignored the madness of his brother, and believed he could still be saved. Had he just killed them both when the opportunity arose, then true peace would have been maintained. But instead he paid the ultimate price and had his soul sealed away, while the lands he loved collapsed to ruin over the span of a century."_

" _...Now, what does that story remind you of?"_

"...I...I don't know." Shina said, firmly shaking her head.

" _It reminds me of the dilemma presented to you now...You may have your mother's eyes and will of spirit...But you have_ _ **his**_ _heart."_

" _But I implore you. Do not make the same mistake he did. Save the universe. Change the future. You're the only one who can."_

"No." She responded softly, shaking her head as she yelled straight up into the sky.

"I choose to believe in Alex Whiter...Because I love him! And its gonna be our love that'll change the future. Not death!"

She swung her fist up high and proclaimed, "So you can take your lectures and stuff it! I ain't gonna do you or Yukari's biddin'!"

Shina took her first step forward with her head held firmly high and a smile as bright as could be. But then Justek let out a very, very long and dreary sigh, and her body suddenly froze entirely in place.

" _...Regardless of the atrocities I'm about to commit in your name, I thank you for listening. But I cannot take any chances. I will not let my friend's legacy be stained in blood and fire, especially not because of a pretender to the title. I sympathize with your plight, I truly, truly do Shina Aurora. But...you are not the only one whose love is strong enough to change the future."_

Shina's body began to move quietly through the grassy fields.

" _What's going on?"_ She cried puzzledly in her mind, _"I-I'm not doing this! Why is my body moving on its own?!"_

" _Forgive me. You gave me no other choice."_

" _You're doing this?! Let me GO! I won't be your puppet! I WON'T!"_ Shina screamed and yelled but her body only stalled ever slightly. She was scraping at the walls of her mind, which now acted as her prison, and watched as slowly 'she' made her way towards Alex.

" _Stop! P-Please, I'm begging you to stop...!"_

She didn't set off any of Alex's warnings. How could she? He trusted her way too much to believe that she'd ever do him harm. He just stood there, unaware of 'Shina' drawing her rapier towards his back.

" _We tried to make you see the truth."_

" _We? We?! You're working with Yukari, aren't you?!"_

" _...I am. And damn her to hell for making me have to do this."_ Justek spoke like a defeated man, even though he was on the cusp of victory.

'Shina' was stopped a foot away, her rapier being readied in alignment with Alex's heart. The thrust was performed without hesitation, with Shina screaming internally at the top of her lungs _"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!"_

Her arm twitched, the blade's path was diverted...Only to puncture through the dead center of Alex's back, and emerge drenched in blood. He let out a pale gasp and swung his arms out.

Silently, Shina regained control of her body and began to cry as she pulled the blade free and shook it dry.

" _...Defiant to the very end. You made a grave mistake expecting her to yield, Yukari."_

Justek's voice turned to silence as Shina hastily reached out towards Alex and begged and begged for his forgiveness. But as he turned around, all he heard at first was a muffled voice. He grimaced while clogging his bleeding wound with the palm of his right hand, his vision being hazy at first.

He recognized the sight of Shina, but could only wonder _"Why?"_ with excrutiating pain.

Her voice started to be heard, but after she dryly spoke his name...She then snickered and chided herself, "Darn, I missed..."

His eyes flared wide open as he looked up to see her grinning from ear-to-ear whilst laying a hand against the side of her face.

"I guess...It wasn't going to be easy after all." She almost sounded _proud_ of herself as she smiled.

 _Next Time: Kill the Phoenix of Destruction_


	34. Extra Stage Chapter 2

" _Why?"_ Alex repeated ad naseum in his head.

" _Why?"_ It was a simple question with no simple answers.

" _Why?"_ His breaths were long and pained. His heart was cold, like the thimble steel that had failed to touch it. He almost wished it had now...

" _Why?"_ His body had become a boquet of rose petals, each one being painfully plucked from the stem until only something hollow remained.

" _Why...?!"_ She should say something else instead of grinning like a hunter who wounded their first gazelle. That's all he wanted.

" _Why? Why?! WHY?!"_ After everything...EVERYTHING Yukari had put him through...He still had her to lean upon for support. Or so he presumed...

"No..." He quietly growled in denial. This wasn't real. The blood that leaked from his body. The satisfactory smile she proudly wore. The tearing of his heart into little pieces...It all had to be an illusion crafted maliciously in detail by that damned witch.

Take away that last bit of hope he had, crushed it down to atoms, and then carry it away on the winds of despair. Then there'd be nothing left worth living for. And that...that is why she had kept him alive.

But...While Yukari is cruel, she was not stupid. Someone who had planned things out meticuously to the point of knowing when her planet would be perfectly positioned to intercept him...Wouldn't resort to such a simple deduced facade.

" _No...!"_ It was an accursed thought fully leading to just one conclusion: This wasn't a lie. The wound inflicted upon him was a sincere one.

" _NO!"_ He wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that this wasn't true.

"What's wrong Elemental Overlord?" Shina taunted him with a taut smile while gently gliding a finger along her blood-soaked rapier, "Are you scared by the sight of your own blood?"

It was the same chipper voice he'd grown to love using those rather villainous words so casually before him. Was it done deliberately to soften the cruelty of her act? Or was it just his brain being unable to separate the facts in his head from the reality before him?

* * *

Shina was in a slump with her eyes now dried of tears. Alex's silence was hard to swallow, especially as he showed zero emotion. She had been trying to get through to him, and desperately explain how what she did was not her fault.

"Alex, please! I know you can hear me! Say something!" She didn't know why she had to resort to such soured pleas. He should know that any apology from her would be the sincerest of all.

Unless...his mind had become too broken by Yukari to respond to any stimulii.

"Was it all a lie..." His voice's sudden return scared her half to death.

"A-Alex?" She felt a pulse. A dangerous one, brimming with heat, exuding from the boy's body.

"Was everything you said to me a lie?!" His roar of flames scorched the grass and pushed her back, leaving her knees wobbling.

* * *

Shina closed her eyes and her smile, once a beacon of purity, now served only to wedge a cold knife deeper into Alex's heart with every word spoken through it, "I wasn't lying when I said I love my sister. She _is_ the most important person in my whole life, and I'd do _anything_ to save her."

She looked down at her rapier without a single hint of remorse as she bluntly explained, "Not was I lying when I said I was seeking the Cosmos Drive to stop Gravitus...But my reasons aren't what you were led to believe. See, Gravitus has held my sister hostage..."

" _I can't believe this! There's no way this is real!"_ Alex howled internally in a mind broken beyond description.

Shina peered up with only a glimmer of sorrow in her eyes, "He told me that if I could get him the Cosmos Drive...and eliminate you, then he'd return my sister to me safe and sound."

" _Don't say it! Don't you DARE say it!"_ He dreaded the words coming next.

"So I pretended to get on your good side so you'd help get me here. And now that we've arrived..." Shina thrust the rapier's tip straight towards the space between Alex's eyes, "Your services are no longer required."

Every word she said was cursed with pain and lies. It was undoubtedly her voice that spoke, but was it actually **her** that spoke them? Alex trembled weakly as his memories flooded his mind in an infinite spiral. Could every honeyed word truly been a fabrication? Was her childishness little more than a mask for this stage play she'd been forced to take part in? Had even their one night of intimacy truly been a part of this cruel, abominable plan?

" _I told you not to trust her..."_ His darkest thoughts surfaced with incredible vigor, _"_ _ **No one**_ _can be trusted but ourselves..."_

" _Shut up!"_ He yelled back, scrambling to pin the blame on the obvious culprit, Yukari. But the deeper he clung to that desperate answer, the more his paranoia turned against him, and twisted any logic into the most deplorable extreme.

Yukari was a genius, and her power unparalleled. But the cost of that power was her humanity. This'd make it easy to perform such cruelty without blinking an eye...But to depict Shina's plight of betrayal with such realism just wouldn't be possible.

And if this truly was the real Shina, then he couldn't trust his own memories to tell him what to believe. And if he wasn't able to trust them, then what _could_ he trust?

All he had was this big, two year sized void filled with nothing...Nothing...But his rage. And that rage, unrestrained by happiness, became an inferno whose flames were fed by the whispers of his darkest thoughts.

" _Can't have smiles without memories, can't have memories without smiles! That's the Shina Aurora motto for life!"_

Memories started to burn away, becoming little more than echoes and ashes in his wake. His head throbbed in response, pounding like it had been set in between a jackhammer and a plate of steel. Then, a deranged scowl began to cross his face...

* * *

Shina kept her rapier pointed towards Alex and trembled as she watched him suffer a mental breakdown. The only thing she felt would fix this was if he paid her back and punctured her cleanly through the chest with her own rapier. It was a crazy idea, but it almost felt like nothing else would reach him.

"Please Alex...!" The last tears her eyes could muster dried on her cheeks as she begged profusely, "Take my rapier..."

* * *

"And impale yourself on it! Do the universe a favor and go away already!" Shina said with a straight-laced grin.

Alex's eyes widened. A part of his mind snapped like an eggshell, and with a body consumed with the flames of grief and rage he lunged straight at Shina and...

 **Extra Stage Chapter 2: Bleeding Salvation**

There was no time to defend herself. Alex was right in her face, and her expression of fright reflected off his amber irises and hollow pupils. He punched her clean in the chest, cratering the ground beneath her feet and sending her hurtling back through the dirt. Her heels trudged up everything in its path until her shoes were torn completely, creating two evenly sized ten feet long, two feet deep trenches. Her heart raced, making her feel like she was no longer alive.

Alex cobbled his landing on the ground and swung his left hand up before his face, wrenching up the ground dividing the trenches. He broke it apart with a thrust and twisted the chunks into spears, shooting them all at once at Shina.

She crossed her arms and created a thick shield of aura, but the lightning fast barrage led to a couple spears impaling their way through and missing her stomach by inches. She sucked her gut in on instinct and gasped, her skin falling into chills.

" _H-He's not holding back...!"_ Her worst fears had come to be as she looked up past the crumbling dirt, seeing Alex with his arm swung down and his glare scorching holes into her body.

She bit her teeth down and shook her head as her skin slowly turned pale, _"He...He's actually trying to kill me..."_

Her feet failed her in her retreat, freezing in place like ice constrained them. Shivers rocked her spine as she tried to grasp what was happening before her own two eyes.

The Alex she knows would never end up like this on his own. It didn't matter if Yukari...

" _...Yukari!"_ Her eyes flared open with a quiet rage and a terrible growl, _"She did this! Her and that Justek guy have Alex under their control!"_

Her legs stiffened and let her stand upright. Alex flung his whole body at her again and slashed his hands towards her chest, cleaving hot scars through the air. She responded by blocking with her rapier laced thick with aura and bracing her feet on the ground so the power of his blows wouldn't shove her away.

She then hopped back and thrust her rapier gracefully through the air repeatedly, assailing his whole body with flickering blows. They'd do no more damage than pins would, but each strike helped repel her a little further back.

 _"Ghhh…No, I wouldn't. But we can't make a habit out of this, otherwise we're just burning our time away."_

Shina did not know why she remembered that earlier memory she shared with Alex, but it reminded her of the kind of person she thought Alex to be.

" _You were always so focused. Ya tried to keep me in line whenever I got distracted...And now...you're the one who has lost their focus."_ She landed on the tips of her toes and swung her arms together to reach for her Drive Bracelet.

"I won't let them have their way with you! Alex, I will..."

* * *

"...Kill you myself!" As Shina swung down for the bracelet, Alex tore straight at her, throwing all the ground in his wake skyward before grabbing Shina's left wrist and slamming her to the ground.

He pinned her down and squeezed her wrist tight so it wouldn't budge. The pressure he applied was ruthless and cracked the planetoid's surface, spreading the destruction for a hundred feet around. All the while he looked into her eyes, and saw only stoicism.

"Do you feel nothing?!" He screamed, spraying her with his hot spit.

As her right hand twitched away from notice, Shina chuckled and remarked, "I..."

* * *

"...I-I'm sorry." Shina squeezed her eyes shut and summoned her rapier back into her right hand. Swiftly she plunged it into his left shoulder, the blood splattering down upon her cheek.

He grimaced and lost just the tiniest bit of strength, but that was more than enough for her hand to break free and plant itself firmly on his chest. She opened her eyes and poured as much aura as she could into a single pulse to repel him off.

He went flying back three feet but landed on the tumultuous ground swinging away wildly with his arms. Each swipe hurled a stronger gust of wind into Shina's body, throwing her around in a mad shapeless tornado.

She clutched her bracelet under her chest and fought against the turbulence to press the Valkyrie Drive. Everything was spinning. The world and her head most of all. But she had to remain focused. Not for herself. Not for her family. Not for him. But for **everyone**.

But the tough winds caused her hand to slip and made her touch the Gunslinger Drive instead. The burst of radiance exuding from the power's release DID manage to break the tornado, at the least. She then clutched her two pistols and twirled in place for a bit with a look of surprise.

Looking down to see Alex winding up for a punch, Shina realized there was no time to correct this mistake and would have to make do with the hand she was dealt. She swung her left pistol down and hit Alex with a few shots before he lunged straight forward with a twisted punch that contorted the air around his body and made him strike harder.

Shina got some aura around her hip at the last second, but he smashed through it and dug his knuckles in deep. She spat some saliva but refused to be sent flying. She bit her teeth down and dangled one weapon over Alex's back, turning it into a shotgun. She pulled the trigger with a couple fingers and sent him colliding with the ground with a blast of burning magnum.

Her weapon recoiled into the air, but could be recalled with just a thought. His punch left her spinning around for a bit, but she managed to straighten herself up with her weapons' barrels aligned perfectly with his body. She turned them into missile launchers and fired a full salvo of twelve missiles into his back.

" _I'm sorry Alex...! But I know I can't hold back against you!"_ She could only apologize profusely as she could barely fathom the amount of pain he had to be enduring.

* * *

Her bombardment was merciless. His body felt like it was melting with every explosion that consumed him whole. He was stuck to the ground, pounding his fists down and pushing with all his might to try and get back up. His hands were hot with magma, burning holes right through the entire planetoid without so much as a conscious effort to do so.

His back cracked and hunched upright, his spine blistering with a heat unlike that of the sun. Fire raged from his skin like sweat, and fended off the explosions that plagued him. He pushed an inch off the ground, then two, then three, then a whole foot. He could see nothing around him but fire, and the embers of dying memories.

 _"I-I wish I could judge you better Alex. I don't want to think the worst of people unless there's absolutely no other choice. Maybe that makes me a hopeful fool, but that's the person I've chosen to be."_

" _Don't want to think the worst of people..."_ He despised this rotten memory with every fiber of his being. His mind ached with agony as he destroyed that memory whole and concentrated only on what lied before him.

He threw his right arm out and cast away the fire surrounding him, coercing it all into the palm of his hand to summon his sword. He then stood upright all at once and with a furious, one-handed slash cleaved through the three missiles that flew his way using pure power.

Shina looked down at her right arm and watched as the rocket launcher broke apart, the pieces shattering to dust in the wind. She then glanced down at him with a smug smirk, which Alex defied by laying the blade before his face with dark red flames churning around it.

* * *

" _He's pulled out his sword..."_ Shina swallowed a very thick and nervous gulp of saliva as her heart palpitated slowly, _"...I got to prevent him from transforming!"_

 _"So now you're going to answer ME Shina! Why is it that_ ** _I_** _care more about saving your sister than you do?!"_

Alex used to hold nothing back around her. If something bothered him, he'd say it. If she did something wrong, he'd scold her. His rough and tumble attitude was hard to get used to, but she eventually came to find it an endearing part of the whole package.

That's why it was impossible to believe that the one she was fighting was doing so of their own volition. Whatever spell Yukari or Justek had mesmerized him with, she'd do everything in her power to break it. Because he never gave up on **her** , so she'll NEVER give up on **him**.

Alex raised his sword up high and channeled the mighty thunderstorm down into the blade. He then brought it down like a giant would an axe, cleaving into the planetoid. Millions of volts of lightning surged through each of the dozens of titanic lightning bolts he sent down in an arc shaped spread.

Shina couldn't escape, so just braced the front of her body with aura and hoped for the best. But while her reaction speed was great, it was not faster than the fall of lightning, and thus the electricity scorched down the sides of her legs before she got to cover them.

Her body was forced to the ground, her hearing temporarily deafened by this high-pitched ringing the lightning brought down with it from the heavens. But as quickly as it was summoned, it all vanished just as fast. And through the sparks that flickered out of sight Alex leapt through and dove down with his blade, set to impale her through the chest.

Shina laid one hand on her ear and rolled aside. Even then, Alex's impaling strike upheaved the ground around him and sent her rising atop the debris. She rolled off and tumbled around, maintaining a lick of balance in order to engage in a firefight with Alex.

Alex sliced his blade wildly, sending waves of fire soaring after her. She took out her sniper rifles and used their piercing rounds to cut through the fire before they could reach her.

Alex retaliated by taking the broken bits of dirt and flinging them into Shina's eyes, where they lodged into her eyeducts worse than the roughest grains of sand. She squeezed her eyes to try and expel them, all the while Alex was dead set on cutting her down.

But just because she couldn't see didn't make her blind. Her aura senses became heightened and allowed her to feel and avoid the rising slash Alex attempted on her gut with a roll back. Then she pointed her shotgun at his stomach and peppered it with a few shots that continually hit higher.

As she neared the neck she stopped and twisted the shotgun around so the barrels were aimed at his chin. Alex grit his teeth and slammed his head down to shatter the shotgun, biting the tip of his tongue simultaneously.

He then slashed directly in front of him with resounding force to repel her, then sliced around some more to cut into her body with barely visible, condensed wind. The blood that spilled forth was grouped with a painfully high amount of stinging, like she was dipping her wounds in pure alcohol.

Shina tucked her legs in and propelled forward with rocket boots, slipping past Alex's wild slashes with only a cut to her shoulder to show for it. After ramming him in the chest she forced him towards the ground. He resisted a lot, and his strength was **definitely** greater than hers.

So Shina retreated from the losing fight, only for Alex to dig his right hand into her ankles and throw her straight down behind him. She pounded her rocket boots against the air at full throttle, hurting her knees in the process. Surprising Alex by colliding with his back, she quickly spun above him and replaced the rockets on her feet with jets, setting them both to full power.

She slammed Alex's stomach with a pinwheel of high octane kicks, hurtling him rapidly towards the crack in the planetoid's surface. Once she had pounded him into it, she winced from a painful tremor rippling up her leg, and noticed that Alex's body had hardened.

He clawed at the ground on all fours and had spikes of onyx erupt from his back with a single spasm. The sharp protrusions could rip through cars, and much more easily rend Shina's feet had she not flipped away at the last second.

Upon landing she slid away and peppered him with hundreds of SMG shots. The thing that she worried about the most, beyond being forced to fight to begin with, was just how much Alex could take before he'd be knocked out.

It hit her just then that she didn't actually know his limits. The only person who'd ever beaten him cleanly...was Yukari. The other time she had to fight him, he had turned into something else entirely.

That's not the case now. This was a pure, unrestrained Alex fighting all-out from the start. And this wasn't even taking into consideration his Phoenix Form, which she wasn't even certain she'd be able to overcome with her Valkyrie Drive.

The loss of focus born of worry gave Alex the chance he needed to get up and charge at her. He threw a punch but whiffed it purposely at the last second before vanishing from sight. Shina looked around, finally having removed the dirt from her eyes. Her sight was a little blurred, and her heart pounded like a drum.

She felt a punch come from behind, but it missed again. She turned around and fired some shots, only for another punch to ambush her. This one connected, knocking her down. She landed with a roll and got back to her feet, staring around for any sign of movements.

Then she grabbed her guns and transformed them into laser cannon, firing them around in half-circle motions to create a perimeter of explosions. When Alex charged into this minefield, he was sent flying away onto his back.

Shina quickly flew over him and fired many, many chains from her guns to bind Alex to the ground. Then for good measure, she fired a couple shots into his arms. She knew that once she broke the hypnotism, he'd be able to heal up quickly.

He heathed and huff with breaths of hot air, while his body sweated like he'd just got done bathing in the sun. His condition was terrible and pitiful and Shina almost couldn't keep her eyes open as she stood over him with the gun aimed down at his body.

"Alex, can you hear me?! I know you're in there somewhere! You have to fight back! Don't let Yukari win!"

* * *

" _win" "win" "win"_

"You're not going to win Alex. I've studied all your moves. I know aaaaaaall your weaknesses." Shina taunted with a deliberate playfulness to her tone.

Alex squirmed with his sword in hand, but with a single bullet bigger than his thumb Shina knocked it out of reach. The skin of his palm burned bright red, which he pressed down as he clenched his hand into a fist. He lashed his snarling teeth towards Shina with a growl while trying to break free. The chains budged, then pulled him down harder.

"And you're _nothing_ without your sword." The barrel was loaded and aimed down his face. One shot might be enough to put him down, and what a disgraceful end **that** would be. Chained to the ground, struggling like a rabid dog.

Alex hated what he had been reduced to. And after all the time he had spent helping this woman try and become something greater than the sum of her parts...The next memories to burn were those relating to when Shina had started to admit her weakness. She had been so honest to him, so forward...And yet it was all just an act.

 _"I thought it was pointless to try the Valkyrie Drive out when you could handle everything on your own. But I can't think that way anymore…I'm going to try and do my part as well."_

How could one person's life revolve so thoroughly around a concept as ugly as a lie? His birth? A lie. His prophecy? A lie. His sanity? A lie. Love? The biggest lie of all.

What did this leave him? A shitty, deplorable title, and all this rage with nothing to focus it on but something not even worth the effort to kill.

So should he just die like a dog?

" _You still have me._ _ **We**_ _...Will always be one in the same."_

The darkest voices in his head gathered together and whispered what he wanted to hear. His body went still and silent, with only his fingers twitching slightly. The planet trembled, and before Shina could put her fingers around the trigger the trees she had fondly examined were torn from the ground and thrown at her.

A couple of them stayed planted, using their roots to coerced Alex's sword back into his hand, which he grabbed tightly around the seven triggers and stabbed deep into the ground.

* * *

Being hit by that tree sent Shina hurtling off the surface, where the low gravity suspended her fifty feet off the ground. She recovered only to be met with something frightening. A pulse of fire, releasing a sound more subdued than a giants' heartbeat, rippled through time and space.

Alex's body erupted into golden flames and unshackled his chains. The trees behind him disintegrated to ash, and then something even lesser. He hoisted himself off the ground and dispersed the flames with the spread of his wings. His eyes lost most of their color, leaving just the faintest tint of red in his irises. Even the black of his pupils seemed dull.

He held his sword in a backhanded manner and looked up at Shina. She trembled from his slightest movement, which threw his raw power in all directions like solar flares. Shuffling his feet along the ground like he was hauling ten-ton anchors, he scorched the surface hollow and black, leaving nothing in his wake but a wasteland of misery.

His rage had been replaced with something far, far worse: Quietness.

* * *

" _Let us embrace..."_ The hollow voice inside his head guided his right arm up like a marionette, and with his fist set aflame he positioned it at the chasm growing in the planet's surface and widened his eyes as far as possible.

" _ **Destruction!"**_

He plunged his fist in deep and cracks burning bright yellow and red spread rampantly across the planetoid. Geysers of fire erupted, as all plant life burned charcoal black...

* * *

Shina couldn't move, even as she would soon be caught up in the planetoid's destruction. For the first time, Alex's phenomenal power didn't inspire awe, but fear.

The planetoid was splitting open, like a balloon filled to the brim. She couldn't ignore this. Her mind was racing, but she couldn't ignore THIS. She cradled her arms against her gut and enveloped herself in a dozen, two dozen, five dozen layers of aura, creating a gigantic chrysallis to hopefully endure most of the ensuing blast.

When destruction arrived, it was swift and mostly silent. The deafening blast ricocheted through the four corners of the universe, drawing the attention of the most keenly aware cosmic beings that hid away.

The chrysallis shattered easily, leaving Shina adrift in a field of burning stone and dirt. She awakened to the sight of golden fire emanating from Alex's body as he floated in the center of the destruction, aloof without a care in his eyes.

He casually flung his sword away and tightened his fist, causing the rocks around him to disintegrate. He didn't breath or blink, his focus was iron clad on her alone. By the time she'd get the chance to twitch, he'd already be on the move, and his attack would hurt.

 **A lot**

Shina readied her guns and braced herself for impact by mustering all the strength she had into her chest. But Alex punched through such a paltry, pathetic line of defense and nearly tore a hole into her gut. Blood spewed from her mouth, and her body felt faint.

How she survived was a miracle, but not one that would repeated. Her body went hurtling through the rocks, tumbling so wildly that she couldn't get a lock on Alex's location.

But that was fine. He'd find him _for her_.

Through a series of punches too quick for her to see, Alex battered her through multiple rocks.

" _T-There's only one chance I've got...to break free!"_ Shina crafted a single gun and held it close to her chest. When the trigger was pulled, a bright flash went off, seering deep into Alex's retinas.

* * *

"GRAAAAGH!" He pulled his head back and laid his hands on the front of his eyes. The blinding pain didn't last long, but Shina escaped in the interim.

" _Where ARE you...?!"_ He scanned the depths of space for the slightest hint of life, hounding every square inch to ensure nothing escaped his sight.

There was a slight seismic tremor coming from a rock floating two hundred feet to the right. He jerked his head that way, finding that she had planted herself on a rock and was attempting to go for the Valkyrie Drive with a slight hint of panic in her eyes.

"Not happening!" He roared before darting at her. She leapt away as he smashed his way through, where a cache of aura mines had been planted in its place.

The explosions triggered his first Soul Shield and clouded his vision. These tactless tactics didn't even humor him, as he brushed the smoke away with a gesture of his arm and locked his sights on Shina fleeing. She fired dozens of bullets his way, but their pace was sluggish.

He stood there and watched them pentrate their surroundings, leaving gelatinous trails in their wake. He could swivel his body around each and every one, with none of them even scraping his fading shield.

He took one step forward, then charged full force into her gut within a second. Her body was sent hurtling away, the trickles of blood she spit burning up into a red mist before his eyes. And for a moment, his heart felt empty, while his eyes twitched with the formings of a single tear.

* * *

Shina hurtled through space, on a one way trip to god knows where. Blood trickled from her mouth like a steady river, and her vision was going fast. Space trembled violently as Alex gathered the pieces of the fractured planetoid into giant flaming meteors that would certainly spell her end.

"Al...ex..." She hoped her voice would carry through the cosmos to reach him one last time. She reached her arm out as her guns slowly whittled away to dust, and saw the meteors being flung her way.

 _"You have to follow those words Shina. If you have any chance of keeping that precious world of yours alive, then you need a bravery as strong as true as those heroes you admire."_

"H...Huh?" He spoke to her again, an echo of the past.

 _Then you can fight with all your heart, and nobody will be able to stop you from saving your family_ _not Justice, not Gravitus not even me."_

Another planetoid was fast approaching behind her. Sandwiched between these obstacles, she'd die instantaneously.

 _"But that requires you to grow up, Shina Aurora. That world of yours isn't going to wait patiently anymore for that."_

She painfully swallowed and opened her eyes, whispering to herself one more time, "...You're right, Alex."

Mere seconds before all forces at play collided together, she slammed down hard on the Valkyrie Drive.

* * *

Alex folded his wings in and slowly closed his eyes, only to have them forced shut as a powerful fountain of light erupted from far away. It shone brighter than a dwarf star, and spread a pair of feathered wings out that were three times bigger than the planetoid.

They cushioned the meteors from advancing further, and their gentle parting pushed them aside. In the center of it all floated Shina garbed in the Valkyrie Drive's armor, wielding the sword aloft the left side of her body with her eyes shut and her body unharmed.

He trembled at the sight he saw. The flourishing light shone over his body and left his body feeling as light as a feather. Something was... _wrong_.

* * *

 _"I will save my family. All of them! Cause..."_ Shina's eyes opened wide with determination as she yelled with all her might, "You're a part of it too!"

* * *

 _"part of it"_ _"p_ _art of it"_ _"p_ _art of it"_

 _"What...are these voices...I'm hearing...?!"_ His heart was grasped in a steel vice, viciously tormenting him further beyond what any mortal should be able to withstand.

Shina cracked a terrible...

* * *

...wonderful smile...

* * *

And roared so loudly that even Alex'd be able to hear it from afar, "Here I come Alex!"

* * *

"I am going to kill... _SAVE YOU!"_

 _Next Time: Kill the Illusion_


	35. Extra Stage Chapter 3

**Extra Stage Chapter 3: Winged Revelation**

" _Save you!" "Kill you!" "Save you!" "Kill you!"_

There were two voices scraping repetitively throughout Alex's fragile mind, both in direct conflict with one another. Nothing about the way they screamed suggested they were fake. Their passion was equally real. But it couldn't make sense for there to be two.

There was only one Shina Aurora. He was fighting her **now**.

" _Get out of my head...!"_ He gripped the side of his scalp and felt like he was literally crushing the second voice to pieces. He then sluggishly dragged his arm away and threw it down by his hip, drawing his sword to battle once more.

The memories of his past continued to haunt him even as they burned away. They were still twisting his mind, telling him things that were no longer true. The girl he loved was an illusion. The person he helped and shared deep, personal feelings with was a farce.

And it only made the pain he suffered in the past all the more empty. He had seen her die in another timeline. He had cradled her body in his arms as her heart literally bled out all over him. He could even remember her last words as though they were spoken yesterday.

" _Please...save her...save...Kai...ri..."_

In her final moments, she didn't care for herself. All she wanted was for sister to be...

"...Saved?" He grumbled with great pain. A sharp twinge cut along the front of his brain, as though a knife was splitting it wide open.

" _No..."_ Why...? Why did she say that?

" _Why...did she say that?!"_ He repeated that question rapidly with an agonized echo, but couldn't come up with an answer. She had no life left to live at that point. Her mission was to kill him, why then would she have him save her sister in her stead?

The facts in his head weren't lining up with the reality before him. His mind literally twisted and turned like a sponge being wrung dry, and made his head lurch up while he hollered a long winded scream. His mouth slobbered with saliva, his eyes turned bloodshot, and with many hot gasps of air in a row his body retaliated against the pain by wiping those memories clean.

Then, there'd be no need to think of that question anymore.

" _Right...Right..."_ His path was clear and concise. That woman had activated her Valkyrie Drive. She was going to use everything she had to take him down.

"...But you'll fail." He growled with the utmost certainty as he clutched his blade tight and swung it back. His golden crested wings spread wide and basked the sublime depths of space in flames. His body twitched in a frenzy of anticipation, as he held his blade to the point of digging his skin into the indentations of the handle, and set loose a torrent of flames from within...

* * *

Pulses of energy loosened from Alex's body like solar flares. Each of them carried an immeasurible pain that hurt Shina every moment that she felt them. Her confidence wavered just a bit, as her eyes trembled with gentle tears. She grabbed her large sword in both hands and held it before her waist.

She could cleanly envision her blade clashing with Alex's. It was a sight so real, it was as though she could see the future. It wasn't going to be an easy fight...But she didn't need clairvoyance to tell that much.

Her hands firmly wrapped around the blade and while her eyes focused on Alex. Their eyes were locked together in perfect alignment, even with this wide chasm between them. Her vision was watery, but she brushed those tears aside by taking a deep breath and holding her head up high.

With the quiet beat of their hearts their only companions, they charged at each other with one decisive burst of speed. Their streaks of energy carved into the sky, and their clash of steel and amber rung across the entirety of this bizarre void.

Their blades locked together with their heads pressed against the back. Alex pushed his blade in harder, making Shina's back bend and shoving her away. She held on with all her might, persisting against these seemingly impossible odds with a true grit to her scowl.

With one vigorous shove she pushed Alex back an inch, which he took as a challenge to his predatory might. He parted his blade from the vicious struggle and swung at the opening that was Shina's face. She leaned her head back in the blink of an eye, her heart racing like a flock of winged birds.

The sight of heated amber burned her eyes as it passed her by, forcing them shut before they'd be incinerated completely. She relied on her aura to guide her actions, and weaved her massive broadsword through a cleaving arc towards Alex's right hip.

His second Soul Shield came to his aid, fending off the furious blow with ease. Shina pulled back and took advantage of the recoil to spin herself around, smashing into the shield multiple times as her body became a whirlwind.

All she succeeded in doing was throwing embers to the winds, and pissing Alex off more. He retaliated with thoughtless care for his body by pushing his right hand past the lethal whirlwind and coming within range of Shina's face.

He opened his hands up wide and blasted her with a scorching plume of fire. Her body was flung back, with bits of her face turning bright red from the intense heat. Sweat built up around her skin and slowly expunged the heat, while her stance showed no signs of faltering.

She reeled her blade back beside her left hip and waited for an opportunity to strike. Aura coalesced with the brazen steel of her blade, giving it an ethereal, azure glow. Alex came at her swing his sword like a blunt instrument, smashing away at the shield she had formed before her body.

The aura held up under intense scrutiny, but the heat he unleashed still grazed her from the sides. Shina squinted her eyes, seeking the opening she so heavily desired. The foggy blue shield parted from sight, and it was at that very moment that Shina slashed straight through her own barrier and attacked the third shield head-on.

Breaking her barrier scattered bright light around Alex, scathing his eyes shut with their beautiful radiance. Shina spun around and rapidly counted down the milliseconds she had remaining before he'd strike back.

" _Four three two one...!"_ At that last juncture she turned her blade ethereal with aura and attacked Alex in the exact same manner as before.

Her arms almost gave in to the incredible pressure Alex's aura contained. It was almost as though all the fire in the universe was contained within this one body, each ember working together to actively repel her. She squeezed her hands tight and grit her teeth, pushing through to the center of Alex's aura.

His eyes flared open like a beast awakened from slumber. Without a second's thought he raised his blade up high and swung for Shina's head. She kept concentrating hard on her goal and pushed her blade through to the other side right as his sword was two inches from her head.

She spun and pulled her body to the right, losing only her left shoulder plate to Alex's slice in the process. But now her back was exposed, something she hastily remedied with a thicket of aura.

But Alex then smashed through his with fist and grabbed onto the back of her hair, tugging her smack down onto a spiked bed of diamonds. The spikes sharply penetrated around the less heavily armored parts of her body, making her gasp as her heart momentarily froze.

He stabbed his blade down at her chest, cutting through the thick atmosphere like butter. She poured aura into the wounds on her back to repel herself off the spike, then hastily held her blade against her body to defend herself. Alex stabbed from different angles, only for her to swerve to meet them every time.

His tiredness at this farce of an impasse became evident when he punted her in the back of the head with an electrified foot. Sparks blasted across the atmosphere like cosmic fireworks, hurtling Shina forward at hundreds of miles per second.

She crash landed on a planet covered in jewels, cushioning herself at the last possible second with a chrysallis around her body. It shattered upon impact and sent her bounding along the surface, then rolling a few feet before stopping. She pushed herself up with her sword as a makeshift cane, and immediately looked up at the sky.

But she should have been looking towards the ground, for the rubies around her feet were swiftly stretched to scrape at her legs and ankles. The wounds cut deep, the bristling pain digging up from her legs to her brain in a second.

She stabbed the ground and smashed the spikes with a circular burst of aura, then quickly took the skies before more could come at her. Alex dove down and grabbed onto her face with an unbreakable vice, slamming her down and using her body to tear through miles of the surface with ease.

Her focus dwindled upon every obstacle they smashed through, until soon she lost the grip on her sword. Widening her eyes, she fought against the friction and pushed her palms together against Alex's face. She released a blinding flash, but he closed his eyes and smirked at her failure.

But she had thought a step ahead, and used that flash to obscure the fact that she was gathering aura into a hefty spiral orb between her hands. The moment Alex saw it, she fired it off, activating his fourth shield. Though it'd do no harm, the continuous rotation of the aura would increase its momentum and thus the force necessary to carry Alex away and give her a breather.

She panted as she forced herself up, where her body swayed around. Then she looked to the horizon and saw that her sword was a mile away. A deafening boom rocked the planet, and upon looking up she immediately had to leap far back before her now flaming aura spiral tore her to shreds.

The spiral ripped upon a massive gyre in the ground. It had to have been at least two hundred feet around, and thousands of feet deep. And the energy just kept going, burrowing deeper into the planetoid without any end in sight.

Alex threw fireballs as large as skyscrapers down to the surface, keeping Shina on the run from her sword. She constantly refreshed the aura around her body while looking for cover. But there **was** no such place. Anywhere she ran, Alex would be able to sense it.

So in deciding between fight or flight, Shina chose to fight. She dug her heels into the ground and ran _towards_ her sword, swinging her arms while swerving past the descending rain of hellfire. Alex lit up the sky with crimson clouds, bombarding the surface with meteors of differing sizes.

One crashed dangerously close to Shina, sending her tumbling further back. But she kicked up on her feet and kept up her momentum. Alex swung his arms across one another and heaved the ground up like the mouth of a foul beast ready to imprison its prey between its teeth.

Shina encapsulated her body in aura and doubled her speed. Her leg muscles became enflared trying to keep up with a pace her body wasn't meant to handle. The darkness surrounded her, leaving her the lone speck of light to prevail.

Alex pulled down hard with both hands, intending to bury her alive. But she smashed through the perimeter of the jewels like a living bullet and rocketed straight for her sword. Her head was sore, naturally, but not enough to slow her down yet.

Alex grit his teeth with unfathomable ire and chose to take matters into his own hands. He dove straight after her, outmatching her speed in the blink of an eye. He tore up the ground as he landed and spun around, slicing down with his right hand covered in electricity.

Shina's solution wasn't to run, but to get in close. She ducked under his pale streaks of lightning and rammed him with her right shoulder. She caused the fifth shield to activate and budged him back a bit. But this was not without consequence, for her shoulder felt numb afterwards.

She gasped hazily with grunts and shook her arm back to life. In the meantime, Alex attacked with a relentless flurry of kicks and punches. She cobbled together a haphazard defense with her aura, and swayed her body to evade anything she could.

He was attacking full force, but that meant he was not putting any effort into aiming his blows. All Shina had to do was close her eyes, and she could easily predict where to move. After a few seconds of futility, Alex made a short leap and brought both his fists crashing down at her feet.

A plume of magma erupted beneath the surface and swept her up into the air, peppering her with molten jewels. Her body burned hot all around, especially as a couple of them wedged into her skin and fried her nerves entirely.

She fought through the pain and swung her arms out, firing a multitude of shining lasers to ricochet off the jewels around them. Many of them bounced into Alex's body, activating his sixth shield and pinning him into place. Shina landed and forced the jewels free with a hefty breath in and out, sweating profusely all the while.

Alex was distracted. This was her chance. Her feet were trembling, but she forced them to run like the dickens for her sword. Alex swung his right arm out and attempted to flay her with lightning, but she slid underneath it and got back up without losing her pace.

He tried attacking again, but with a hop and spin she used her hand to guide the remaining lasers to pile on top of Alex's arm and force it down. His attack smashed apart the ground and peppered her with chunks of jewels, but they were but minute distractions at this point.

She dropped down and swept her sword off the ground, using its edge to grind to a halt. She then laid it evenly with her hip and thrust her whole body forward in a single second. As the tip of her blade connected with Alex's shield, she began rising off the ground while twirling her blade around and around, alternating which hand it was in for maximum effect.

On the final swing she clung on the blade with both hands and used its ethereal form to dig into Alex's aura from the bottom. It was easier to do so this time, but still a momentous struggle. Once her cut had reached through, Alex pounded her stomach with a tight bullet of air.

Then he tugged that same hand back, pulling her in with another gale. He switched to his other hand to pound her with another bullet of air, and repeated the processes four times. Shina coughed up a bit of blood, and constantly being jerked around like that made it difficult to fight back.

Alex ended his onslaught by throwing a left hook into her chest to bring her crashing to the ground. He dropped immediately before where she landed and reeled his right fist back, throwing a heavy punch only after his knuckles cracked.

His fist dug into her abdomen and split the ground left and right beneath where she'd been suspended. Her body went hurtling across the ground, with Alex following her with quick bursts of speed and even stronger punches. He soon knocked her off the surface and back into space, where she was able to spread her arms out and halt any further movement.

She grabbed her blade in both hands and swung it down as Alex rocketed after her. He swung his own blade up to meet her, stabbing a hot sword of fire past her defenses to overwhelm her with heat. She sweated, and her vision blurred, but she pressed against Alex's assault and much to her surprise was able to keep him at bay.

Shina broke the stalemate by turning her blade ethereal and attempting to cut more of Alex's aura down. He pulled away, a reaction even he showed brief shock towards, then threw his left palm up to sweep up Shina in a spiraling tunnel of fire.

She held her ground and slashed through the flames with a sparkling saber, which unleashed its energy upon Alex in a wave to force his seventh shield to the surface. He reeled his sword back and pushed a few feet away, and Shina floated in place to slowly catch her breath.

The two were silent and alone in this colorful, mysterious void of space. They looked each other in the eyes, their thoughts gravitating towards a single, unified memory.

" _I WANT TO LIVE!"_

Alex had screamed that to her with all his heart. For the first time in his life, he had decided that there was a reason to stay alive. To her, it didn't make a lick of difference what other people saw in him. She'd seen Alex's true character. He wasn't someone who'd willingly harm her, or anyone else innocent.

It was deplorable, simply **deplorable** , that Yukari and that mysterious man Justek would try and turn the two against each other with such a flagrant disrespect towards Alex's individuality. That's why, for as much pain as she would have to inflict upon the one she'd love, she'd endure a much greater pain upon herself for as long as physically possible until she had freed him from their captivity.

* * *

Alex felt his energy whittling away, his very essence carved into with that grotesque butcher's knife she called a sword. Being on the receiving end of the Valkyrie Drive's power had made him feel almost sympathetic towards those who had faced it beforehand. It was almost surreal how it functioned.

Though, this wasn't the first time he'd seen this power in action. Especially on him...But circumstances were different back then. Back then, he had been led astray into believing that she had his best interests in mind. That she was there to be a shoulder to lean on, a person that he could entrust with his darkest secrets...But everything was a lie. And she had ensnared him with the five words he had once spoken to her.

" _Don't run away...DON'T RUN AWAY FROM LIVING!"_

…

" _H...uh?"_ He grabbed onto the side of his head and found himself in incredible pain. This memory wouldn't go away like the rest. It clung on. It fought back. He couldn't destroy it. It was as powerful a memory as the person it was connected to.

" _She...saved me..."_ It didn't add up. Her goal was to kill him. Why would she save him? Mutual benefit would be the most obvious reason, but she never admitted to that even when it'd be easy to rub salt in the wound. Could it be that...

Alex stared wide-eyed at Shina, and saw her unpleasant smirk. But then the image of her became wavy, and he could see her looking at him with an adamant mix of concern and determination. His mind was ripped through, pulling him back towards the sight of her vile smirk while he let out a quiet, scratchy moan.

With rings under his tired eyes, he lifted his head up and pointed his sword straight up, caressing her body with a brief, hot gale. He spread his regal wings far and wide and looked to her with an intense glare plastered onto his face.

In the time it took the two of them to gather all their thoughts, the last of his first set of shields faded away. And so, he made a bold declaration.

"I don't need these shields...I'll end this in a minute!"

* * *

Shina firmly nodded her head and agreed with her pride and her people on the line, "So will I!"

One last time, their eyes locked together. With a subtle blink, they leapt from their spots at each other with swords burning bright and collided hard enough to make space tremble in fear.

Their energies burst apart in all directions, their clash of blades occuring valiantly in the center of this intertwining madness. Shina and Alex attacked with equal strength and speed, meeting every strike dead center with each other.

Shina raised her right leg up, coating the grieves in aura to amplify the kick. Alex grabbed her by the ankles and crushed the aura with fire, then with one mighty tug he swung her behind him, hurtling her many feet away. She stalled her body with an outward burst of energy and charged back at Alex.

She thrust her blade at his chest, cutting lightly across it as he swerved away. Dispelling his sword, he raised his fists up high and smashed her back, using his knee as a prop to make the pain hurt more. She coughed up blood, but concentrated deep within her body to unleash another powerful burst to stagger him back.

She then clutched her blade and attacked his aura with its ethereal form. Two mighty swings cleaved his hefty energy through entirely, but that was all she could muster before Alex blasted her face with a combustible fireball.

With her eyes shut tight and her face feeling red hot, Shina rubbed it over with aura to ease the pain, while using her free hand to parry Alex's attacks. She curved and swung to match every blow, which pounded her with the force of a twelve ton hammer. Her wrist began to buckle down, but she would **NOT**.

She spun her blade around in one hand, moving so quick that a hurricane would falter to its speed. Alex slashed faster and faster, but found his attacks and himself repelled no matter how hard he tried. So he swung his hand into the whirling vortex, and snagged it at its source. His arm jerked up, his elbow snapping like a twig, as he held tightly onto the edge of the blade and ripped it from her grasp.

Her defenses were open. He targeted her chest with a fatal stab, only for her to swerve aside and receive but a minor cut to the body of her sternum. She shoved forward along the dull edge of his blade and hit hard and true with both her palms. A shockwave erupted from his backside, expunging even more aura.

He gasped and shook violently, like the lightning he flayed the skies with had now ripped his body asunder. He sparked uncontrollably with electricity and let it burst forth from his body like the raging thunderstorm, throwing Shina a fair distance away.

She protected herself valiantly with aura and stretched her arm out to catch her fallen blade, slashing twice in an "X" with aura to volley projectiles at Alex. He cut them down in fell swing of his bare hand, glaring forward with burning eyes.

He lashed his palms out, squeezing them so tightly together that the skin began to split. From there he unleashed a massive beam of fire, forcing Shina on the defensive. The heat set her hair flying back, the pressure riding against her skin and forcing her eyes wide open, even with her aura protecting her.

Alex punctured her defenses with electrified vines as the fires died, reeling her back to him with millions of volts surging through her body. He punched her a few times in a row, treating her body like the body of a yo-yo while the vines behaved like its string.

Shina mustered the strength to cut the vines to ribbons, but her right eye was weakly beginning to close. She charged straight for Alex and dug the tip of her blade into his abdomen, being careful to evade any vital organs. Blood hotter than magma expunged from his body and splashed against the aura around her face, burning holes straight through it.

She reeled back and sought to confuse him with speed, only for her moves to have been predicted steps in advance, for Alex now bound her legs in place with shackles of rugged chrome. He held on tight with one hand, and swung the other back with an inferno condensing before his palm.

Shina grunted, channeling all the energy she could muster into her legs. With Alex so focused on incinerating her, he couldn't maintain a perfect restraint. Her strength prevailed, and she swung both legs up as hard as she could into his chest and chin. The shackles shattered, his swirling flames thrown far into the distance, where its light would be said to still be visible a thousand years later.

Shina pounded his chest with a flurry of kicks until he had enough, and struck back by grappling his arms around her waist and piledriving her straight towards a new planetoid.

This place, flourishing with strange blue and red flowers, would soon have its peace disturbed by a meteor impact. A ring of fire spread for miles and left only the soil beneath it untouched. After dragging Shina through a mile of dirt, Alex planted his knees on her stomach and swung his fists at her face. Two punches was all it took to draw blood from her nose and bruise her cheeks.

She dropped her sword and used both her hands to grab onto Alex's fist. She then threw him overhead and slammed him against the ground, where she rammed into him and caused the two to start tumbling across the ground. Dirt then dug into their wounds and caused incredible pain.

They both stopped flat on their stomachs. Alex planted his hands down first, and dug his fingernails underneath the soil. He pulled the ground apart beneath Shina, and she plummeted into the chasm. He tried to slam it shut, but she blasted the walls with powerful bursts of aura to make her escape.

The dirt flew into Alex's eyes. He reeled his head back and screamed loudly, scraping at his eyes to get it out. Shina dove down and threw a punch into the back of his head to knock him to the floor. He slammed his hands down and immediately performed a brushing kick, tripping Shina up.

As she went flying up she grappled her legs around Alex's neck and pulled him up, twisting him around so he'd be slammed onto his back after she fell. He held his breath and his face turned red, but allowed him to freely slam his elbows into the ground to upheave the dirt in a pillar to clobber Shina in the gut.

Forced to let go, she was knocked up over Alex, who vaulted off the ground and wrapped his arms around her waist. Then he put his legs around hers and power bombed her into the surface of the planetoid, cracking the ground for miles.

Her whole body quaked, and her muscles started to feel a bit like gelatin. She grabbed her hands around Alex's head and pulled it in, biting her teeth as their foreheads smashed together and drew blood. The two untangled themselves as they fell onto their backs and started panting heavily.

Blood leaked from the sides of their mouth as they slowly pulled themselves up. Shina was sniffling, tears flowing down her cheeks, while Alex's nostrils flared and his eyes were bloodshot and dry.

Alex hunched over and sliced the air with his arm, cutting down Shina's chest from shoulder to hip with a lightspeed blade of wind. He tried it again, but this time Shina applied a quick burst of speed to ram him to the ground with her shoulder. Her shoulder then locked up, inflicting excrutiating pain down her entire arm.

She turned to the left and hustled for her sword, with Alex rising and chasing in hot pursuit. He got ahead of her and flicked the sword aside with his foot, then threw a left and right hook into her body in quick succession. She bit her teeth down and grabbed onto the sides of his head, bringing it down upon her rising knee.

Blood sprayed from his nose and mouth as she then grappled underneath his shoulders and suplexed him behind her. His head was now piledriven into the ground, giving Shina a second to run for her sword. Once she picked it up, she turned around and countered Alex attacking with a fervent downward slash.

He kept his blade locked in and charged forth, dragging her feet through the ground. He then forced her blade down, trying to get his sword in the perfect position to dislodge it from her grasp. But instead she matched his movements and triumphed when it came to speed, causing her to dislodge **his** blade.

He was getting desperate. He reached down for his right pocket to claw the Gaia Temporis free, but she intercepted his wrist with a firm grip from her left hand and forced it up. Drawing her body in closer, she could see his teeth and eyes trembling with fear. It hurt to watch him suffer like this. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he felt.

But that distraction of the conscience meant little to Alex, who grabbed his falling sword in the other hand and attempted to cleave her arm off. She backed away with a long, floaty leap, and held her sword tightly in both hands upon landing.

Alex grabbed his sword in both hands and swung it down. Flames coerced together into a deadly spiral that penetrated the surface of the planetoid diagonally to the other side. His power was going out of control, and the glimmer of his wings were beginning to fade. He could barely hold on to his scowl, but the penetrating hatred it showed was as strong as ever.

Shina gathered most of her remaining aura into her sword, making it shine brighter than an azure star. Her knees were weak, her feet as light as paper. Were she to move, she'd have a more likely chance of collapsing on her stomach.

But she could feel Alex's strength wavering. If she put everything she got into one final attack, she could cut down the remainder of his aura and incapcitate him without killing him. But would she survive the aftermath was the bigger question, and one she was not certain of...

Her heart raced, visions of her family and people, along with all the people she met along the way, rushed past her in an instance. Alex stood at the end of it, reflecting his saner self in her eyes with a subdued smile. She slowly started to cry, while the rest of her body firmed up to prepare for the final strike.

* * *

He didn't want to die. Not like this. Not to anyone.

Memories meant nothing. His past meant nothing. He just wanted to live to spite the universe for causing him so much undue harm. And the first step towards that end was...

" _Because...I know that...through thick and thin...we'll still love each other...E-Even if we don't succeed..."_

His heart went stiff and cold. Shina's words from that one tempting night of passion ached his very soul. His skin gained a pale tint, and the flames around him flew into a wild frenzy. He saw both Shinas staring back at him, unable to deduce which one was real.

With a long, agonizing grunt, he closed his eyes and trusted only himself to see this battle through.

* * *

Drowning out even her own thoughts, Shina took in a deep breath and swung her blade up high. Taking upon an ethereal form, the aura exploded into a feathery, bright blue wing high in the sky. As Alex raised his blade, his fire raged like a malicious wildfire and created a jagged wing.

The two charged at each other and swung their blades down, going in for the final blow. The flames overcame the aura and cut halfway down the planetoid.

Everything went silent. There was nothing. Not even an ember remained.

...Then a flash of crimson burst wide-open around where they two had clashed. Shina stood behind Alex with her blade drawn down, and a scar burned into the planet that clearly showed that Alex's attack had missed its mark completely.

The boy froze stiff in an upright position, his wings burning into golden ash that spread to the four winds. He collapsed onto his back, looking as mortal as any other human.

Shina planted her sword on the ground and panted heavily. The last few seconds, nay, the last minute of her life was a complete and utter blur. She wasn't even certain she had succeeded until she turned around and saw Alex on the ground. She couldn't sense even a glint of his monstrous energy left.

She had won...

"...Alex?" She whispered softly as she cautiously approached him.

" _Without his aura he should be free from Yukari's control, just like Dizzy was..."_ She thought as she looked down at his face, and saw this frighteningly blank look in his eyes.

* * *

" _He eyed the parents of the prophecized successor, and created his 'Blank' inside of the mother as little more than a fetus in the womb."_

" _ **You**_ _are the villain, Alex Whiter. Through the simple act of existing you snatched away what was rightfully his."_

" _You boast that you know who you are, Alex Whiter...But you don't. You know nothing. Worst of all, you don't even know the truth about who or WHAT your 'parents' actually were."_

" _Do the universe a favor and go away already!"_

…

…

…

Floating. Floating in a sea of darkness. Silently, silently his mind drifts through a void, surrounded by echoes.

A voice clamored to him. It didn't make any sounds he was familiar with. It wasn't human, nor beast.

His hand reached up, and something black ensnared itself around his arm to pull him in closer.

Then it just kept pulling him in. Deeper, deeper, _deeper_...

* * *

" _Thump!"_

Shina leapt back, and didn't quite know why. There was something cold gathering around Alex's flesh. Something cold...and supernatural.

The depths of space pulled towards Alex like rubber and was absorbed into his body, causing him to rise from the ground like a zombie.

"There's...there's no way he should be standing!" She stuttered in disbelief. When a person's aura is removed, they temporarily lose all their power. That was a foundation set in stone since the days of her oldest Aurian ancestors.

As Alex's feet touched the ground, Shina recognized something that she was a fool not to have before. It was the soul of the original Elemental Overlord that allowed Alex to use his powers. She didn't cut down Alex's aura...

"I cut down...the Overlord's..."

Alex swung his head back, his eyes filled with pure red light while his body was bathed in a sublime, pitch black darkness. Shina's heart was beating out of her chest, and she felt her legs stumble back on their own.

He turned around and crouched over, unable to show any expression by pure agony. His mind was torn asunder, the fragile shell consumed by a malicious power. **His** power. The power of darkness.

Shina was drained from the prior battle...And now Alex was renewed, better than ever. He screamed, his voice echoing with a snarling gargle that shook the planetoid apart.

And Shina could feel only one thing approaching...

 _ **Death.**_

 _Next Time: Kill the Future_


	36. Extra Stage Final Chapter

**Extra Stage Final Chapter: Le Blanc Et Noir**

 _Darkness._

The emptiness of eternity.

 _Darkness._

The soliloquy of the night.

 _Darkness._

The vengeful cry of anguish.

 _Darkness._

The fear that stills all hearts with a cold, cold silence.

I have lived a long, long, LONG time in darkness. Longer than the universe has drawn breath. Longer than the eldest gods have slumbered in their putrid nests, waiting to consume the carcass of life of which worlds spread anew. Yet...this darkness I bear witness to is certainly something else.

That boy, that puppet, is ravaged by an ebon taint. Its malicious winds vanquish the light from his eyes, and burning the flesh with rage. Life gasps its last hollow breath, swept amidst a cataclysmic vortex churning inside his heart. Sound dies not with a yell, but with a pitiful chirp.

...And if someone like me is feeling this way, then I cannot even begin to imagine how that girl is holding up. How she even manages to find the strength to stand is beyond me. But she was warned. He told her that this was coming. She could have prevented this. This...is entirely **her** fault.

"Alex...?" She mutters a pitiful cry, clinging to the tiniest petals of hope.

He responds by stabbing his fingers into the ground, and burrowing his toes halfway into the soot. His body is constantly being assault with pain, drowning all other noise he attempts to make.

Shina staggers, mere seconds from collapsing onto her back and allowing herself to succumb to his rending strike. Her body is drained of color, making her appear as pale as a snowflake's silhouette. She is on the last vestiges of strength. Her sword is as heavy as a mountaintop.

He trudges forward slowly like a snake in the grass, his eyes as blood red as one of their tongues. The soil became dry and cracked, with a venomous dark violet glow wedging itself in between it all.

Nothing felt hopeful. Not anymore. It didn't feel worth it to even _cry_.

Shina heard her own heart pounding. Each beat was like an icicle had been pushed through her chest. Her breaths drew tiny clouds of fog, while her veins chilled to subarctic temperatures.

Digging his hands deeper into the ground, he anchored his teeth into a brutal scowl and then leapt straight forward without a second thought. He swung his right fist back and had thrust it out before she could blink. The empty air wrapped around his body, making even the void of space feel inadequate.

Right as her pupils shrank, Shina found her blade being swung up with arms as limp as noodles. She repelled his blow, but just barely. He smashed right down into the ground and charged back in, slicing up the dirt and gravel as he slashed his hand along the back of her arm.

She mustered some aura for protection, but he cut through it and drew a wound one centimeter deep, spilling blood from within. Shina swung her blade back down again, only for him to evade to the right with movements bordering on phantasm.

Ghastly afterimages haunted the way he traveled, each one showing his body contorting in pain in differing ways. Yet when he sprung in for an attack, everything was back to normal...Relatively speaking. He smashed his fist into Shina's left shoulder once, then attacked it again from above in quick succession.

She held on tight, but if one strike were to hit its mark the shoulder would be dislodged entirely. Her body fought back out of pure instinct, and swung around with all its might to keep the darkness at bay.

He kept coming in swinging, smashing against the flickering whirlwind from many angles. Shina's right ankle twisted up and made her bite deep into her lower lip, causing it to bleed. As her rotation broke down, he came in from below and plunged one fist far into her gut, making more blood spill from her mouth.

Any blood she spilled was not for him to feed. It was wasted away to nothingness, its succulence as hollow as his heart. He rapidly pummeled her body, raising her higher and higher until his feet could find even footing on the ground once more.

Shina finally gained the will to fight back, and planted her sword firmly between the two of them. He kept punching anyways, forming tiny by significant cracks within the blade. He collapsed darkness into two spherical voids and smashed them together haphazardly before his face, creating this deafening sonicboom that cracked the walls between time and space.

Shina went hurtling back to the ground, her ears slightly ruptured but still capable of hearing. But her sword had been damaged, its edge now unable to cut through even the weakest of wood. As time and space mended, she crawled to her feet and stared at the darkness.

He just stood there, his body lacking even the motion of breathing. His aura was out of control. It was gushing out all over the place, like someone had overworked a furnace, and it was now suffering a catastrophic meltdown. He wasn't used to this kind of power, and if it didn't kill her first, then he would most certainly kill himself in the process.

" _How...could it come to this...?"_

Shina propped herself up on twigs and needles at this point, and couldn't even raise her blade more than halfway up with both her hands as its support. Her eyes were about to shut, forever embracing the darkness. Her heart was squandering the last of its breaths worrying for someone who was far, far gone.

Everytime she blinked, a drawn out memory played before her. She saw herself sitting at home on a warm couch with her little sister nestled to her hip, fast asleep with a smile. Their mother was watching over them from behind, gently wondering if they were hungry, or needed a blanket.

Shina said they were fine, and then rubbed the top of her sister's head, which made her giggle.

...It felt so real...

" _...Maybe...maybe it is...?"_ It was wistful wondering. No. These events were not a dream, but a reminder of what she was about to lose.

The glistening blue light that punctured the sky above cruelly teased her like a dangling piece of fruit. She was so close, and yet the darkness ensured that it'd remain just that: Close.

But she wanted to keep him too. As she clung to those hopeful memories of yore, she imagined him in there too. He was sitting on the arm of the couch, acting like an aloof older brother would. He'd tease young Kairi by tickling the side of her cheek as she slept, and she'd quietly tell him to stop, which'd make both Shina and him laugh.

The darkness quit stewing in its disgusting filth and set its eyes upon her once more. She clung her blade tightly and tried to raise it...But for what reason?

There was no victory to be had. She couldn't cut through the darkness. But she couldn't lose **to** the darkness either.

Her biggest hope all seemed to lie in closing her eyes, and praying that what she dreamt could potentially be real. The darkness was silent as it lunged straight through the air at her like a rabid beast, its fist raised to beat the last ember of life from her body.

Her heart raced, her eyes flooded with tears. She clung to that memory harder and harder, and its warmth seemed comforting at first...But it became twisted with blood, and he had crushed her little sister's head in his grasp before reaching for her own neck with his other hand...

"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

 **. . . . . . .**

 **. . . . . . .**

 **. . . . . . .**

… **...**

…

… **..**

… **..**

" _ **STOOOOOOOOOOP!"**_

… **.**

… **. ….**

… **. !**

 _s...s...shi...na?_

… **..**

 **Ghh...GRRRRRUUUULLLLRRRKKK...!**

It was like being born into this world for the first time. He could feel the light penetrating his eyes, and bringing him incredible discomfort. He was so fragile, that he didn't have the strength to open them all the way. And like in birth, he was greeted by a woman's tears. But they were not shed in happiness, nor in pain.

His body felt cold and he couldn't tell why until he looked down. First he saw blood leaking from the upper left corner of his chest and followed it down diagonally. It went from his shoulder close to his right hip...And buried deep inside that wound was a sword. Her sword. It could be no other sword.

" _...Oh."_ He dryly quibbled in his mind.

He was drawn to the source of the cries, the one called Shina Aurora. She was weeping tears that were no longer possible to make. Her hands clasped weakly around the handle of her blade, struggling to help her stand upright.

She was blubbering an apology to her sister and mother repeatedly...And there was a genuine sense of moroseness to her voice. But if she was mourning for her own losses, then that could only mean she thought she was the one who was dying.

...And it was at that very moment that Alex realized how badly he had been duped.

If the "real" Shina was any indication, then there'd be no confliction on this matter. She'd have killed him and be done with it. But she **was** so conflicted that ultimately, she couldn't believe that she'd lose control for even a second and bring about this result.

And neither could he, really. Hell, he didn't even understand how he got to be in this position. A sword was through his body, rending most of his vital organs. He couldn't feel anything except emotions, which right now included self-loathing.

His arms were sagging, each drenched with her blood, but he'd never know of this fact. He shouldn't be able to breath let alone speak, and yet his voice sprung from his mouth in a gargly slur, "Shina..."

Her heart nearly sprang from her chest as she swung her head up and stared at him with a gasp.

He cocked a tiny smile as she looked up at his terrible state and slowly broke down crying some more. She repeatedly badgered him with pleas of "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry" until he felt like that was the only thing he'd ever remember again.

But it was him who silenced her with a simple, quiet, "No...I'm the one who should be sorry..."

"Wh-What...?"

"I was d-deceived...by Yukari...She made me believe...that you had stabbed me...And said terrible things to me..."

Shina sniffled and whimpered, "But I-I did stab you...It was my rapier...T-That hurt you in the first place..."

Alex stared blankly into space as he muttered "O-Oh...?"

"But I couldn't stop it...! I tried, I tried and I tried but I couldn't break free...A-And then...and then he made me..."

"I-It doesn't matter...Shina...I-I was the one...who thought you had betrayed me...But in the end...I was the one who betrayed you..."

"No...! No don't say that! You never betrayed me Alex!" She tearfully raised her head and lashed angrily at him with all her might, "You never _could_ Alex! I-I know you..."

She squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her face down atop her sword. Then came more apologies, each more bitter than the last.

In the listless still of night, Alex raised his head just a little higher and felt nothing...Nothing, but regret.

"...I never deserved your trust to begin with..."

"...Huh?" She meekly peeked her eyes up from the dry puddle of tears she made.

"...Nor your love, nor your companionship...None of that...I-I...Never even deserved to be born..."

She sniffled once, then closed her eyes and scornfully bit her teeth, "Don't listen to her..."

"Don't listen to her! Whatever she said about you, its not true!"

"Shina, please...please listen to me..." Alex tried to reach his hand out to her, but it limped back down to his hip.

"Whether its true or not...You need to know...You need to know what she said..."

"No." She staunchly refused his request, and yelled at him in fervent denial, "I don't **care** what she decided you are! I **chose** to love **you**! ...I-Isn't that enough?"

Alex closed his eyes and whispered, "...You're right...How could I be so foolish...?"

She snickered a little and admitted, "Cause...that's...w-who you are..."

With a little forced optimism peppered into her words, she smiled at him and said, "A-And it doesn't matter that this happened! W-We'll still cross the finish line together a-and..."

Alex hung his head and closed his eyes, silencing her almost immediately. Her head sunk back down onto her blade, and she punched down onto the center of it while begging of him, "D-Don't say it...P-Please..."

"...Shina, there's a blade through my chest...And I can barely speak..."

"No...No...!"

"...Even if I had enough strength to move, it'd take too much time to mend these wounds with elemental energy..."

"No! I don't care! SHUT! UP!"

"...You have to let me die Shina."

She starts pounding away feverishly at his chest until her knuckles are dark red with his blood. All the while she's screaming at him, "You're a liar! You're a horrible, horrible LIAR!"

"Shina..."

"Don't run away from living you said...We'll be together forever you said...! You're giving up on yourself! On US!"

"...Shina, please be realistic..."

"Y-You wanna take that tone with me?! You...you've traveled through time before...! You can still..."

"...I don't have any control over that..." He said, feeling hopeful for just a moment, "And...I get the feeling that this time...there's nowhere for me to run **to**..."

"That's bullshit..." She could be heard murmuring disdainfully towards the Gaia Temporis before she continued to bitterly beat against Alex's chest.

"Then...then I'll carry you to where the Cosmos Drive is! T-There has to be a way to heal you there..."

"You'll never make it if you have to carry me along with...sustaining yourself..."

"..." Her fingers curled up and clung to the tops of his shoulders, while her head rested softly on its side atop her blade as she sniffled, "...Y-You're not being fair Alex..."

"...I know. I'm not very good at this 'love' thing...Am I?"

"...I don't want to decide between you or my family...Cause you are my family...You...And the child we're gonna have together..."

"..." Alex gulped quietly, his eyelids sinking shut as he felt just a glimmer of life in his arms.

"...Your family is worth more than me. They always were. And its not just them...you're fighting for your entire race, right? ...I-I don't know how many they number, but surely its not so thin that it'd be worth struggling to let me live...Right?"

"...No, but..." Shina slid her hands down along his chest and asked, "...What am I supposed to do without you?"

"...The same thing you've always done...Live, Shina Aurora. Live...without me..."

"...I'm scared to let go Alex..." She said, riddled with shivers.

"I know..." Alex placed his hands up on her shoulders, and she felt just a little bit warmer for it.

"But you have to." He then whispered.

She gently closed her eyes and remarked, "I-I'll...stay here with you until you draw your last breath..."

"..." Alex closed his eyes too and slowly nodded his head.

"...I wish you got to meet my family..."

"Well, I did meet your mother...Twice, in fact."

"...O-Oh right, time travel..."

"But man...I'll get to miss the look on her face when she finds out we fell in love...W-What a shame..."

"...You would've gotten along with my little sister..."

"It'd...feel a little weird that we'd be the same age..."

"Heh...Hehehe, yeah...Imagine if she ended up getting a crush on you?"

"Or one of my clones...Good grief that'd be weird..."

"...You never got to tell me about them, ya know?"

"...I actually only just found out that my clone made his own clone just a little while ago..."

"What? A clone of a clone? Who..."

"Yukari told me."

"Ah..."

"...Alex?"

"No, don't even consider it...Yukari...was my enemy. She'll never target you again once I'm gone..."

"...Its not right though...She did this to you and..."

"I...feel she'll get hers eventually...But...you can't let vengeance consume you like it did me..."

"...Shina?"

"Yeah...?"

"...If...you still have a child after this...What will you name it?"

"...I don't know."

"...Yeah, neither do I...But."

"But?"

"...You got me thinking."

"Uh-huh?"

"...I think...it may be possible for you to find my clone on the same Earth your city's on..."

"H-Huh?! W-What makes you think that?!"

"...Just a gut feeling."

"...A gut feeling."

"...But its a strong one...Shina. I think...you should seek him out...And have him be the child's father."

"...I-I can't do that to him...I don't even know him..."

"...I do. He's a goofball, and he talks too much...But...His heart's always in the right place. He's...a way better man than I'd care to admit."

"...Okay...I-I'll give it a shot."

"...Shina."

"What Alex?"

"...Thank you for giving me this time..."

"..."

"...And...I'm sorry..."

"...Huh?"

A powerful gale, stronger than anything Shina's ever experienced, forced her off the ground in an instant. The winds came from Alex's palms, which had been on her shoulders the entire time. Her sword was expunged from his body as she tried desperately to grab onto the handle.

She swung her left hand out as he quietly smiled her way with an expression that looked serene, and yelled to him as she was carried far, far away into the distance, "ALEX!"

Alex couldn't hear nor see her for very long. His eyes began to shut, and his body, now free to bleed by the gallonload, plummeted to the ground to be nestled amongst the gentle flowers. By the time those winds would stop carrying her away, there'd be no point in her turning back around.

"...Mercy is my last gift to you, my love...You don't need to have my lifeless body be your last memory of me. I've already...hurt you enough as is..."

With the last bit of strength his muscles could muster, he laid his hands behind his head, drenching them in the slowly growing pool of blood. He then crossed his legs and could slowly feel his energy dwindling. But what warmed his heart was no longer an inferno of rage. It was just a quiet ember of warmth.

"...Heh..." He looked up to the sky, and the depths of space glowed faintly with white.

"...Sorry mom...Sorry dad...Maybe...I'll get to see what its like up there...some...other time..."

He closed his eyes, and he slipped away...

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

 _tick_

 _tock_

...No.

 _tick tock_

No. This can't be possible.

 _Tick tock. Tick tock._

You dreadfully avaricious child. How **dare** you not let this end. You will stop what you are doing right this INSTANT!

 _Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock..._

...Fine. Continue this tiresome charade. You WILL reap what you sow eventually. Just you wait and see...

...His eyes awaken to a dreadful sensation: Life anew.

His body sprang up and let out a harrowing gasp. He lurched over and gave himself a quick pat over. There was two things off...The wound in his chest wasn't just gone, it was like it had never even existed to begin with. And all the blood that spilled? It was back inside of him, rushing without a hint of abnormality.

This wasn't like the other times where death had been reverted. He hadn't leapt to another timeline, or another body...This was the same body he died in. His own time had simply been reversed, healing him from this pain he endured without consequence.

Yet...he still remembered everything that happened. And it left him **furious**.

Reaching deep into his pocket to rip the Gaia Temporis out, Alex clenched it in a suffocating grip before his face and bitterly grit his teeth as he at first asked it softly, "What the HELL did you do?!"

Of course, like the bratty child it was, it hushed up without an answer.

"How many times...How many ways will you force me to live before you're satisfied?!" Alex screamed at the top of his lungs, but of course...Why **would** the stone answer? I mean...its not like he lets you stay with him, right?

Oh that's right, little child.

 _ **You've never given him a choice in the matter.**_

Thus when you don't give him an answer, it should come as no surprise that his grip becomes tighter around your cage, and his voice gets even louder, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME DAMN IT?!"

No response. So at that point, he didn't bother just slamming the thing back into his pants and bitterly gritting his teeth. He then looked around, wanting to double-check something...

"...Everything's the same as we left it...I didn't wind up going back in time..." In his grief and disappointment he ended up looking towards the blue light where the Cosmos Drive's meant to be.

"And Shina didn't come back here either..." With his lips slanting into an energyless frown, he reached up towards that blue light and thought about the passage of time. Though his own time had been reverted, it didn't mean that time hadn't passed since he "died". It could've been a minute, an hour, even a day or a month...Or more dreadfully, a year. Any further than that, and he'd have gone mad at the thought.

He squeezed his hand tight and sharply turned away, muttering to himself with a hint of melancholy, "No..."

"...It'd be too cruel for her to see my face again," He tucks his hands into his pockets and walks away from the light, "Especially with a target painted squarely on my back."

…

"I know you're watching...Yukari," He says while looking dead ahead with a straight-faced scowl, "I don't know why this dumb stone keeps me alive...But as long as I'm still in this game...Then you and I are going to keep playing."

He narrows his eyes with a burning glare and gives me his ultimatum, "I'm done playing around. You toyed with the love of my life and made her cry. You tried to pit us against each other and nearly succeeded in getting us both killed! ...I'll take my share of the blame for falling for your stupid trick..."

He then thrust his finger straight out and exclaimed, "But the payback you'll receive will be a thousand times worse than the pain she had to suffer!"

He swung his arm down and summoned a wreath of hellfire around his body, darker the hottest sun, "And I'm not going to start or stop with you Yukari. I'll stamp out all the evils of this universe one by one, including 'God'! Then nothing'll get in the way of Shina and I's life together!"

"...So you **and** the Lunarians better prepare yourselves...The Phoenix of Destruction is coming _BACK_ to Gensokyo."

…You're welcome to try, Alex Whiter.

 **Clash of the Elements Part 4 EX Final? Story...**

 **THE END.**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry for the delay on the final chapter. I got sick on the day I was planning to write it and just got better today.

Really though, I'd like to apologize for a lot of delays throughout this entire story. This whole Part should've been done with all the way back in March at the LEAST, and I plan to talk about that at a later time.

For now though, yes, there's still one more story to go...And let me just give a warning now that its not going to be an easy one to write. It'll be an intense emotional rollercoaster, especially for fans of Touhou. I can only ask that if you do decide to go forward, that you see it through to the very end.

But for the time being, there'll be a two week break between stories. I know, I know, I just complained about delays, but this is something I really need to prepare for all the way and I feel you as the fans could use the break as well.

Oh, and the next story will focus primarily on Alex Whiter. If you're wondering where this leaves Shina...Don't worry, I DO plan to address that sooner than you think.

Until then though, I hope you continue enjoying, cause next time...

 _ **Clash of the Elements Part 4 EX True Ending:**_

 _ **THE FALL OF FANTASY**_

...Will begin abruptly, and never stop until its over.


End file.
